


Once More Unto the Breach

by Wishfulthinking1979



Series: Empire Reimagined [6]
Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, But it's painful for a while there, F/M, Hand wavey Force things, Mind Invasion, Not everyone thinks so of course, Piett and Veers epic friendship, R2-D2 gets to be a giant hero, Skywalker Family Drama, Skywalker Family Feels, nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 48,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24812728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishfulthinking1979/pseuds/Wishfulthinking1979
Summary: This takes place a few months post Fidelity.While the New Republic begins to work on governing the galaxy, the Lady is given a much needed break and overhaul at Kuat shipyards. However, there are those who have been waiting for an opportunity such as this. With the Death Star destroyed, the Lady is the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, and she is vulnerable....Leia and Anakin must work together, more closely than they ever have. Piett, Veers, Han and Luke must find a way to defend the ship, and a small blue droid trundles his way through this adventure with all the sass and heroism we expect from him.
Relationships: Firmus Piett & Maximilian Veers, Han Solo & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Firmus Piett, R2-D2 & Luke Skywalker
Series: Empire Reimagined [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1747222
Comments: 325
Kudos: 129





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! So I have been slowing down (a bit ;) ) in my writing as my real life things pick up again. This work is not yet complete, but I anticipate it being so shortly and then I can focus on the polishing.
> 
> It's time though to begin sharing it with you all. I had a huge challenge, but also a lot of fun in writing BOTH Artoo and the Lady. I am very open to constructive advice if they are hard to follow. (I don't speak binary, so have much to learn.)
> 
> I played a bit with involving some elements from the sequel films as you can see, but have clearly disregarded the time line among numerous other things, because, hey, it's my AU and I can! :) 
> 
> I love hearing your thoughts and am pleased to take off on another adventure.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

General Enric Pryde had one of those faces that was permanently set into an expression of cold cruelty. However, there were those close enough to him who could report that they had indeed seen that expression shift to one of appalling evil or deadly amusement. Let it not be said he had no variety.

He leaned back in his office chair, and studied the records on his data pad for the hundredth time. He considered himself an exceptional planner when motivated for his own reasons. However, when one worked with a Sith commander, one had excellent motivation for….. _ other _ reasons as well. But the General also had his personal standards to achieve, and he would allow no mistakes.

He gazed therefore once again, at the summary information of each individual.

Anakin Skywalker: Once Darth Vader. Former (and possibly still current, in some form?) commander of Death Squadron. Involved in the death of Palpatine. Apparently renounced the Dark Side of the Force. Travels frequently. Children--Luke Skywalker. Leia Organa Skywalker. Strange connection observed with SSD Executor.

Most dangerous: Enemy number one

Luke Skywalker: Jedi Knight and prominent member of the Rebellion. Commander in X-Wing squadron. Possible involvement, in association with Anakin Skywalker, in the death of Palpatine. Close to his sister, General Solo and his Father. Close ties to traitorous Imperials. 

Also dangerous: Enemy number two

Leia Organa Skywalker: Early key member of the Rebellion. Possibly Force sensitive? Bears watching. Political background. Works closely with Mon Mothma and other members of so called ‘New Republic’ to establish government. Travels frequently between Rebel fleet and Coruscant. Close to: Luke Skywalker, General Solo (romantic involvement), and, interestingly, Admiral Piett. Possible useful connection. 

Dangerous: Enemy number three

Admiral Firmus Piett: Formerly of the Imperial navy, turned traitor sometime before the Battle of Endor. Commands SSD Executor. Informants report unusual ship operations in connection to both the Admiral and possibly Vader. To be left to the commander to deal with. Currently commands Rebel fleet. Close to: General Maximilian Veers, Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa Skywalker.

Enemy number four

General Maximilian Veers: Formerly of the Imperial Army. Also turned traitor before the Battle of Endor. Currently commands Rebel ground troops. Close to : Admiral Firmus Piett, Anakin Skywalker, possibly Leia Organa Skywalker. (have been observed in friendly social interaction) Cannot be turned. Association with Admiral Piett possibly useful for current mission.

Enemy number five

General Han Solo: Ex-smuggler. Military leader in the Rebellion. Joint responsibility with Luke Skywalker for destruction of the first Death Star. Currently working with Rebel pilots. Close to: Leia Organa Skywalker (romantic involvement), Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian (administrator on Bespin) Friendly ties to above mentioned Imperial traitors.

Unpredictable: Enemy number six

There were of, course, many more names on his pad, but the immediate concerns for the first phase of their mission were these six. 

He flicked over the images sent recently from Kuat. So. In their efforts to secure the Capitol planet, the Rebels had left the Executor vulnerable. She was being repaired and retrofitted thoroughly, and was operating with a skeleton crew while in dry dock. Oh certainly, they had left several Mon Calamari cruisers and the SD Avenger to defend her, but that would not be nearly enough to stand against his forces. He scoffed.

The greatest weapon, currently, in the galaxy and they left her so very open to attack. But if others left weaknesses for him to exploit, he was more than happy to do so.

His comm blinked at him and he rose, flicking it on. 

“Yes?”

“Sir, his Lordship wishes to speak with you.”

“Thank you.”

He immediately moved to his holopad and toggled the switch. The tall, blue shadowed form of his commander came into being, swathed as usual in all black, his silver mask obscuring his face.

Pryde bent his knee. “My Lord, how may I serve you?”

“Are our forces ready to be deployed, General?” The silky tones implied nothing but an affirmative answer.

“We are ready, my Lord. Have you come to a conclusion regarding the…..  _ unique _ nature of the ship?”

“I have, General. She is indeed,  _ special _ . But we must have her if we are to succeed in overthrowing these rebellious upstarts. My spies tell me however, that we can bend her to our will with the right codes.”

“Indeed my Lord, how would you like us to acquire them?”

“Only two individuals are thought to have them. One is Anakin Skywalker.”

_ Well that posed a rather large problem. _

“The other, however, is Admiral Piett.”

“Very good, my Lord.”

“Ensure, therefore, that he is captured  _ unharmed _ and with the proper….. _ motivation _ .”

_ That too could prove difficult. _

“My Lord, our informants tell me that the princess is currently on Coruscant with her Father.”

He felt the chill gaze, even through the holo connection.

“Indeed. But  _ General Veers  _ is not. I will deal with Skywalker  _ personally _ .”

“Of course, my Lord.”

“When are the last men expected to be in place?”

“Their ship arrives on the Executor in a matter of hours, my Lord.”

“Excellent. Prepare to deploy the fleet in six hours, General.”

He bowed his head. All was proceeding as they had planned for months now. 

“It will be as you have ordered, Lord Sidious.”

  
  


****

[The Lady was having maintenance.  _ Her _ maintenance however, was on a grand scale compared to Artoo’s own. He sensed her frustration at being inactive.]

[Is not maintenance a good and necessary action? He asked her as he trundled down her longest corridor.  _ He was aware he shouldn’t really be here. But the humans were distracted and the Lady was bored _ . Artoo was a good friend.]

<Yes, she replied. But it takes many cycles, and I long for the speed of the stars. I find the absence of the Dark one to have been long. And my Admiral misses the Dear one.>

[They are returning soon, Artoo reassured her. And I am here, Lady. Perhaps we can reprogramme General Madine’s caf dispenser once more.]

<She sent him her amusement. My systems are not in a state to make that easy, she told him. Much has been taken offline to allow for the repairs and upgrades. I do not like relying on other ships for my protection.>

[Artoo understood this. Is that why your Admiral has refused to leave you? Han Solo does similar actions when the Millenium Falcon is in need of repair.]

<Han Solo is not in the same classification as my Admiral, the Lady responded primly. But it is minutely similar. Yes, my Admiral wishes to ensure my safety. The Loyal one has made him promise to depart for shore leave once my engines are done being retrofitted. It will be soon.>

<Where is Luke Skywalker? She asked him.>

[Luke Skywalker is working on the X-Wing in Anakin’s hangar bay, Artoo informed her. He plans to join the princess and Anakin shortly. Artoo paused at a junction. Lady, which route would you wish me to take?]

<Take the left turn, she advised. Then turbolift 24B. Perhaps you can surprise my Admiral on the bridge.>

[Artoo was surprised, but obeyed. This action will lead to displeasure from the Admiral, he warned her.]

<Yes, she replied, but it will distract him. Then it will lead to a conversation with Luke Skywalker which has a 92.4% chance of increasing my Admiral’s….what do the humans say?…. _ mood. _ He has now sighed 21 times in the last 45 minutes. My Admiral is more impatient than I am to complete these repairs.>

[Artoo was now in the lift, sharing it with a disconcerted repair technician. ‘Hello’ Artoo said. The technician edged a little further away and pretended not to see Artoo. Some humans are exceptionally bad at manners, Artoo told the Lady.]

<True, she replied, but much of that is due to not having the advancements that you and I do.>

[The lift stopped and the technician got out, looking back nervously at Artoo and pulling out a comlink. We will need to hurry, he told the Lady, if we are to surprise your Admiral.]

<I can arrange that, Blue one, she said proudly and swept the lift up at double speed to arrive at the bridge. No damages, she told him, here is the access code.>

[Artoo plugged in and entered the code she gave him. The doors hissed open smoothly and he trundled into the atrium of the bridge. For a moment, none of the humans seemed to notice. Down in the pit, the technicians were working on numerous tangles of wires that were normally tidied away in the command consoles. Half of the bridge consoles were being replaced, and the other half were newly completed and gleaming. Then the comms officer turned around and gave a little squawk.]

“What is it, Lieutenant Leeland….oh  _ kr _ \-----that is,  _ who _ let that droid on. My.  _ Bridge _ ?”

[He is not pleased, Artoo told the Lady. Also my sensors indicate that he knows it was you. Admiral Piett was glaring at the ceiling.]

<She flicked something on the Admiral’s datapad, and he hissed under his breath, gripping it tightly.>

“Find Commander Skywalker please, Lieutenant, and have him  _ kindly _ step this way, if you would.”

[My analysis of human speech patterns indicates that he is being too polite---translation--he is very unhappy, he remarked to the Lady. The Admiral approached Artoo with purpose, hand on his blaster.]

[Your Admiral would not try to stun me would he? Artoo asked the Lady apprehensively, swiveling his dome for an escape route.]

<Only if he believes you will damage me, she replied, do not worry Blue one, I am telling him I am happy to have you here.>

[Artoo picked up a yellow reflection on the Admiral’s data pad. This seemed to make him frown more heavily and speak to the Lady in a whisper.]

“Force  _ damn _ it, Lady, I am speaking with Lord Vader about your idea of friendship. _Stars_ , I can’t believe I am having to talk like this to my  _ ship _ !”

[The ensuing discussion with Luke Skywalker led to the Admiral walking off the bridge with Artoo and the Commander, followed by dinner when General Veers joined them. ]

[Was that successful, Lady? Artoo asked from his place in Luke Skywalker’s quarters.]

<Very successful, she replied. But he still does not particularly like you, Blue one. However,  _ I _ do and that is the important thing.>

[Indeed, Artoo agreed.]


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things escalate very rapidly and not in a good way for our heroes!
> 
> This story is one of the most action oriented I've done. I realized as I went over it and edited that I really don't let anyone take a breath for very long. Just a heads up for you! ;)

If people could see him now, Luke reflected, they would perhaps lose some of their illusions of grandeur about the Jedi. 

His arms were covered in oil, up to the elbow, and his protective coveralls were splattered with it. He was sweaty and tired, but feeling reasonably accomplished as he rose slowly from the deck and surveyed his X-Wing. 

It looked new. He had lovingly scraped off all the carbon scoring and polished out the smaller dents and scratches. He had then taken a page from his father’s book and decided to completely overhaul the engines. Who knew the last time that had happened? The Alliance repair crews had always done a terrific job in terrible conditions, but it would never equal being able to spend time and care on the ship. 

Artoo beeped beside him, swiveling his dome to observe Luke’s work.

“Yes, she looks like a different ship, doesn’t she?” Luke agreed, moving to rest a hand on the droid’s dome.

Artoo blatted and moved slightly out of reach. “Really? Now you’re concerned that I might get oil on you? You’re fussy about that now?”

A series of trills and beeps. “The  _ Lady _ wouldn’t appreciate it?” Luke sighed. After the exploits of yesterday, he really didn’t want to test Piett further, despite Artoo’s shenanigans leading (eventually) to a pleasant conversation with the Admiral and the General. 

“Well we don’t need to worry about that, do we because  _ you _ will not be wandering around the Lady anymore! We’re leaving in a few hours, Artoo, and you are staying in this hangar bay!”

A soft tweet. Luke narrowed his eyes. “Somehow that doesn’t reassure me.” 

He turned and began to clean up his tools, letting his mind dwell once more on how his sister and father might be faring on Coruscant. Mon Mothma had been installed as the head of state, and an interim council had been appointed after much discussion with the worlds that had agreed to join the New Republic. Emissaries were arriving all the time from around the galaxy to negotiate with the new government, or lend their opinions as to how things should be run. 

It was an immense amount of work----getting a new governing system installed. The leaders in the New Republic were determined to avoid the mistakes of both the Empire and the Old Republic, which meant that the days were filled with discussions, committees and research. Much had to be undone from the tyranny of Palpatine and sadly, much information was obscured or lost. 

Which was why Anakin was consulted with reasonable frequency as one of the few people who may know about missing pieces, or dubious people in the power structures on the planet. His work was kept very discreet, as there were many who would  _ strenuously _ object to Darth Vader helping this fledgling government in any way. 

His sister had been asked to be the assistant Head of State, and she had politely, and surprisingly, declined. She wanted to be involved, certainly, but had no desire to spend all her time on the Capitol planet. Much of this was due to her hating it passionately, true. But, Luke was aware that she also wished to be where he and Han were primarily to be found, and that was with the fleet. That Piett was there too, undoubtedly had something to do with her decision, and he wasn’t about to argue it. Leia had more than earned her right to pick her position, and if she was happy to be in a diplomatic role so that she could be with her people, he would support that 100%. 

Luke himself was starting to think about his own future. He placed his tool kit neatly underneath the X-Wing, and motioned Artoo to stay with the ship. The droid blatted indignantly but obeyed.

He did not see himself as serving in the squadron permanently. He desired to train new ranks of Jedi, and he and his Father had enjoyed numerous long discussions about how that could look. At the moment, things were still rather unstable around the galaxy as former Imperial pockets still cropped up, not to mention various petty despots and crime rings. 

His Father was particularly passionate about destroying the Hutts and other slavers, but there was the issue of power vacuums so it must be dealt with carefully. He and Piett had discussed this often, as this was also a topic of great importance to the Admiral, who had started his career hunting such scum down. 

So there were many things to do before Luke felt he could leave the fleet. And that was all right by him---rushing into things had never served him well, he reflected, smiling wryly as he shucked out of his oily coveralls and placed them in the laundry chute.

One of the numerous benefits that came from uniting the fleet of the Alliance with that of Death Squadron was the option of much better facilities. Piett had seen to it that Luke’s quarters were on par with that of a commander in the Imperial Navy and thus, his refresher contained the option of real water showers as well as sonic ones.

For a boy raised on Tatooine, where water was a very rare and precious commodity, this still delighted Luke and he allowed the hot spray to relax sore shoulder muscles. 

He changed into more comfortable athletic wear and came out to his main living area, towelling his hair.

He felt it.

Just moments too late. 

He reached for his lightsaber, currently sitting across the room from him on a side table, but it was as though a wall had come up between him and his weapon. 

“I was told you were powerful. I can feel that. But you cannot match me in this body.”

And Luke spun around to see a tall form, swathed in black with a grilled silver mask on its face. 

“Lady!” he called, even though she had never spoken to him, he knew she could hear.

The form laughed, and suddenly immense pressure was exerted upon Luke, bringing him to his knees.

“I have kept her presence from this room, young Skywalker. Foolish of you all to assume she would be safe. I will take care of her after I have you.”

Luke strained against the Force hold, trying to relax internally and summon his power. He succeeded in making his attacker stumble a step, and then he was flung to the floor and pinned there.

“ _ Very _ good. But not enough.”

“Even you can’t take this ship!” Luke coughed. “Others who use the Force have tried and failed.”

A cackle that sounded almost….. _ familiar _ ?

“Indeed. But  _ I _ shall not.” 

His certainty made Luke afraid.  _ There wasn’t a way to disable the Lady…..was there? _

“However, for now young Skywalker, I do not have a use for you. Sleep.”

_ Leia _ ! He thought. And Luke went limp.

  
  


*****

<Blue one! She is frantic. She does not understand why her systems are so blinded. She heard Luke Skywalker, but it was muffled and she could not see in his quarters. Wrong.>

<Blue one, she tries again. And there----there is the droid, trundling toward her from the hangar bay.>

[Lady, he says. You do not appear…..correct.]

<My systems are not operating at capacity. I cannot see and hear in so many places. Fear!>

[Are you damaged? Artoo asked her.]

<I do not think so, Blue one. I cannot explain what is happening. Something is keeping me from communicating as I need to. I cannot reach my Admiral. Blue one! You must help me.>

[Artoo swiveled his own more limited sensors. She is right, something does not compute. Danger. He moved swiftly toward Luke Skywalker’s quarters. When he arrived, he coded the doors and zips inside. He knew immediately that Luke Skywalker was not there.]

[Evidence--water in shower. Evidence--damp towel on floor. Luke Skywalker was here recently. Artoo scanned the room---the light sword was not present. ]

<I also have tried to locate Luke Skywalker, she says. Something is preventing me……>

[What is your conclusion, Lady? Artoo asked, sensing her processing.]

<I have felt something like this before…..a long time ago, but this is so much more powerful.>

[What was it? Artoo asked, plugging into one of the Lady’s panels and beginning his own diagnostic of her workings]

<The Dark one called him a ‘Hand’. He had the power like the Dark one and like Luke Skywalker. He tried to stop me.>

[What did you do, Lady? Artoo asked. Her systems are operating normally if at partial capacity. He cannot detect a reason for her to be so limited in her ability to see and hear.]

<I destroyed him, she told him proudly. He threatened me. He threatened my  _ Captain _ .>

[Artoo approved. Luke Skywalker has not installed a weapon in me. I may need to request this from Anakin Skywalker.]

[He put out his scanner again. I cannot tell, Lady, where your Admiral is. But you are vast and my scanner cannot pick up the bridge from here.]

<Go there! She insisted. Find him. Warn him.>

[Artoo was conflicted. I must find Luke Skywalker.]

<Yes, she replied. And I can help you, but I need my Admiral to do so. If there is a power user, my Admiral is not equipped as Luke Skywalker is.>

[This made sense. Artoo trundled back out into the corridors and headed for the turbolift the Lady indicated, when his sensors suddenly picked up the unmistakable signs of blaster fire. The Lady was registering it too.]

<Hangar bay 16, she told him. I am accessing what I can. Blue one, the Millenium Falcon is there!>

[Artoo sped down the corridor to a different turbolift which the Lady indicated. He plugged into another portal in the lift. And…..there. At last, a small feed was accessed from a charging transport ship, in the process of being repaired. He activated his external camera to show the Lady what he was seeing.]

<These images are not in focus, she said. But the specifications indicate that is Han Solo.>

[Yes, Artoo told her, concerned. And that is General Veers. Why are they fighting the Executor’s crew?]

A pause.

<That is not my crew, the Lady replied. Those are the repair technicians….No. We have been deceived. Blue one, they are trying to take  _ me _ .>

[But they cannot, Artoo told her puzzled.]

<They CAN, she insisted as the turbolift doors opened to the hangar deck level. Blue one, we  _ must _ find my Admiral. If there is a power user, there is a way to overcome me. They can use my Admiral. And he is not safe!>

[Artoo moved swiftly toward the bay. He was picking up large numbers of ‘technicians’ now. He could see General Veers motion to Han Solo. The Corellian made a break for the Millenium Falcon while the General tried to hold off their attackers.]

[Then a spat of blue fire, and the General went down. Han Solo turned and was hit as well with the blue. Artoo stopped hard, spinning on his wheels.]

[Lady! He called, afraid.]

<In here, she told him, indicating a small storage room. The door hissed open for him and he ducked inside as numerous feet began to pound down the corridors.>

[What now? Artoo asked softly. He could sense her fear for her Admiral.]

<I…...am not sure Blue one.>

Droid and ship waited-----for what they did not know.

  
  
  


****

Han swore lightly under his breath as he banged at the panel on top of the Falcon. Chewie usually did the work on this section, but as he was currently on a very rare visit to Kashyyk, Han was left to it. 

He was in a mood. He knew it. Luke knew it. The Falcon knew it. His next bang produced sparks as she spat at him. 

“Kriff.”

He missed Leia. No one could snark at him like she could, and while Veers was a good stand in for a battle of snide comments, no one in the galaxy could replace his princess. 

Still. The whole reason he was working on this panel was to make sure the Falcon was in top shape before he and Luke went to join her Highnessness and Vader on Coruscant. Luke had been refurbishing his X-Wing with Jedi dedication (unfair) and Han had seen the shining results of his work. 

While it would take a minor miracle for the Falcon to shine like that, he could still have her running as smoothly as possible. Particularly since he knew that Vader worked on his own TIE, and Han was determined that the Falcon would outdo the man’s ship when it came to a contest of speed.

Always had before after all. 

Bolstered by this pleasing thought, he paid more focused attention to the panel, and after another twenty minutes, he had it. He swung down his ship easily and found a rag somewhere to wipe his hands before restrapping his blaster to his hip. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust their Imperials---more than enough water had passed under numerous bridges for him on that front. It’s just that in general, Han was not a very trusting person. And it felt weird not to have it at his hip. 

The Admiral had raised an eyebrow at it in the early days, but had allowed it---an act of trust on his part that went a long way with Han as well. 

He found that he was rather hungry and made his way to the bay entrance as a familiar tall figure rounded the corner. 

“General,” Han greeted, pausing with his hands on his hips. “Did you need something?”

“Have you noticed anything a bit off with the Lady’s response times?” Veers asked in that direct manner of his.

Han raised his eyebrows. The Executor was a gorgeous ship and top of the line in every respect. He had not encountered any issues with her ever. But then, she was no Falcon. 

“I’ve just finished working on the Falcon, General, I have to say I haven’t been paying attention. What sort of issues with response times?”

Veers frowned. “Well a great deal of her systems are offline due to all the upgrades and repairs. So, it could be that I’m imagining it. But the most recent one troubles me as it’s been half an hour and I can’t reach the bridge.”

Han frowned in return. “Have you used your personal comlink?” 

Veers gave him a cool grey stare that likely intimidated his troops. “Yes, Solo, I  _ did _ think of that, thank you.”

“Well that is strange.”

“More so given that if we were going to be cut off like that, the Admiral would have alerted us to the fact that it was happening.”

“And I can’t seem to locate Skywalker.”

Han felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to prickle. He had learned over the years to pay close attention to that. He noted too, that Veers was wearing his service blaster----not something the man typically did while on board the Lady.

“What are you thinking, Veers?”

“I’m thinking that we’re in dry dock. That we’re operating on less than a skeleton crew because we have three other ships to protect us. That our commander is not here and the bulk of the fleet is in orbit around Coruscant or returning from Mimban.”

“Sabotage then? By whom?” Han asked. While things were certainly far from completely peaceful around the Galaxy, he could not think of an immediate threat. Didn’t mean that there wasn’t one though.

“Possibly,” said Veers thoughtfully. “But the Lady is…..unique. Trying to sabotage her is virtually impossible, trust me. You need special abilities…….”

He suddenly got a very unseeing stare. 

“General, what do you mean by that? As in….. _ Skywalker _ special?” Han asked, really not liking the look on Veers’ face. 

“Mmm. Listen, Solo, I’m going to head to the bridge. It could be this is nothing. In the meantime, could you try to contact your princess? See if we can communicate outside the ship? It could be this is an internal problem only and…..”

Han saw them almost at the same time as Veers, and both men flung themselves to the deck, before crawling toward the inner wall of the bay as blaster fire erupted around them. Perhaps fifty men in technician’s uniforms were advancing from the corridor. Above them, Han could see more men starting to advance from the massive cat walks. Several troopers and maintenance crew down on the bay deck were scrambling for weapons, and already a few bodies lay still on the cool metal. 

“Solo!” Veers shouted, firing rapidly and with deadly accuracy. “Is the Falcon ready to fly?”

Han understood what he was implying. “Yes!” He fired at several men over Veers’ shoulder. 

“Get to Venka and the princess. Hell, Vader too. I’ll cover you.”

“General…..” Han knew what that meant for Veers. 

Fierce grey eyes met his. “They cannot have this ship, Solo.” He took out five more men. “If I can, I’m going to find the Admiral. Get us reinforcements.”

Han nodded, then gave himself a blast of covering fire as he sprinted for the open ramp of the Falcon.

He heard Veers firing behind him and bolts were rebounding off of the durasteel bay, and he heard cries as various hapless men were struck. He didn’t know how he knew but he heard a different sound than that of a kill shot and turned, his foot on the Falcon’s ramp. 

Veers was down, blaster fallen from his hand, and figures were converging on the General.

_ Kriffing hell. _

Han turned back up the ramp---it had only been half a second---when his body seized and he knew what it was in his last conscious moments. 

_ Stun blast. Leia, I’m sorry _ …..


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither Piett nor Veers like where things are going. The Lady makes plans with Artoo.

His Lady was a mess. Piett  _ hated _ it. Yes, he knew it was necessary and yes, it would be fantastic to have her in tip top condition, but right now the chaos was wearing him down. He couldn’t talk to her.

Well. Not that he could really. But due to so many of her systems being offline, her little flicker of the lights or change of colors was not available, and so he had no idea what was happening in her…...processing?

He still talked to her in his quarters, because she could no doubt hear him after all and he shouldn’t just ignore her. Besides, it was a habit and it helped him unwind after his shift. He looked at his datapad for the hundredth time. The list of tasks still to be done seemed to go on endlessly. 

Piett moved to the side of the bridge that had been completed recently. It gleamed, and the smell of the new steel and plastic was actually quite pleasing to him. He ran a hand over the smooth metal. It took his mind off of the mess on the other side, and the giant nest of wires that the Pit seemed to have become. 

One of the techs----Turbot? Taller?  _ Talbot _ , that was it---looked up as Piett passed. 

“Evening, Admiral.”

“Good Evening, Talbot,” Piett replied with a small smile. The boy had been friendly ever since he’d set foot on the Lady, along with the thousands of other maintenance crew here at Kuat. Perhaps no one had ever told him that one didn’t just fraternize with Admirals while on the job. Or perhaps the young man just didn’t care, seeing as how they saw hundreds of ships with various Admirals, Captains and Commanders on them, pass through the shipyards.

Regardless, he was very pleasant, and had the added bonus to his character of admiring the Lady every chance he got. 

They had developed a habit, in the two months the Lady had been in dry dock, of discussing various aspects of the ship. Piett was secretly delighted to find someone who didn’t start rolling their eyes, or suppressing yawns when he talked details about the most beautiful ship in the galaxy.

“How goes the ah, knitting project?” Piett asked gesturing to the particular bundle of wires the young tech was holding at the moment.

“Slow, sir, but some progress is better than none.”

“Quite. What is this particular bundle for?”

“This is a good one sir---this is our Lady’s primary weapons’ connection. This is all from terminal 4 sir, over there. It’s why it’s so slow. I need to be extra careful that these work perfectly.”

Piett nodded. “Absolutely, Talbot. Well, keep at it. Your efforts are appreciated.”

Did he imagine a small pause in the boy’s response?

“Thank you sir.”

Piett strolled to the front of the walkway again, hands behind his back, loosely holding his data pad.

He could see Avenger hovering overhead, guarding her flagship, and out of sight on either side, Piett knew, were two Mon Calamari heavy cruisers. 

_ And Coruscant was that way…. _

Much as leaving the Lady in her partially reconstructed state was distasteful to him, Piett rather thought he would take a few days to go to the Capitol planet, as Veers was pushing him to do. Once the Lady’s engines were up and running again in three days time, he would go. He missed the princess, and it would give him an opportunity to see how Venka was doing in command of the Home Fleet.

The rest of the New Republic fleet under Ackbar, was en route from Bothawui and would meet up with their flagship at Kuat after a brief stop at Mimban.

He found Coruscant repelling frankly--especially after his  _ last _ experience being there, which had nearly killed him----but for the sake of people he cared about, he could handle small amounts of time there. Besides, he could spend a great deal of time on the Devastator and shuttle back and forth to the surface. 

Yes, that would work, Piett thought to himself. 

It had been a while since he’d heard from Veers. This suddenly occurred to him and he moved toward the comms station, which, while being upgraded, was still functioning. Or so he’d been told. 

The General had some thoughts on the Lady’s massive maintenance turbolifts in the hangar bays, and was wondering about making one of them capable of lifting AT-ATs. It would be useful certainly, but the engineers were a bit put out by a General telling them their job, so Piett was assisting in smoothing things over. He was supposed to check in about that meeting some time ago, and it wasn’t like Veers not to be punctual. 

One of the Lady’s overhead lights flickered and he looked up at it. Was she communicating or was this just a result of system overhaul?

It was so kriffing frustrating. He’d always thought he was a patient man, but apparently when it came to his Lady, he was just as capable as anyone else of…..

The light flickered again and he frowned, turning from his course to the crew in the Pit.

“Talbot, any reason you can think of why…..?” 

Talbot was aiming a blaster at him. 

And so were at least seven others. About eight crew members had their hands in the air. The rest were armed and this situation was…...appalling.

Piett tapped ‘transmit’ on the data pad still in his hands behind his back.

“ _ What _ do you think you’re doing?” he asked in his most chilling and forbidding tones. 

Talbot actually looked apologetic. “I’m sorry sir. You’re going to need to come with us now.”

“I’ll not be leaving my bridge, thank you,” Piett replied coolly. 

“Then my orders are to stun you, sir and drag you along.”

Piett didn’t much fancy that happening, but also wanted to stall as long as possible so as to give the person on the other end of this transmission as much information as possible. 

“You might as well kill me now. I won’t be giving you, or whoever you work for, anything.”

“You aren’t to be harmed, sir,” Talbot told him, almost eager to assure him of that. 

_ Interesting and foreboding.  _

“Then Talbot, why for kriff’s sake are you doing this?”

The young man licked his lips nervously. “I’m not supposed to say, Admiral, please sir, I don’t want to hurt you….”

And suddenly a shot was fired. Piett jerked but he wasn’t the one who had been hit. Talbot looked at him, puzzled and then down at the red hole in his chest, before he slumped to the ground.

“I was told you were quite stubborn, Piett. Since that young idiot was taking too long, let me make this simple for you. Come with us or we start shooting your crew.”

And the Admiral found himself gazing across the bridge to a tall, austere man, dressed in a fitted black uniform, his grey hair swept back smoothly and a smoking blaster pointed at Piett.

“Do I know you?” Piett asked as calmly as he could.

_ He’d just shot one of his own men. Talbot was only a boy, damn it... _

“Possibly. How about you bring your hands where I can see them, Admiral?”

_ Kriff _ .

Piett did so and the man fired, neatly putting a hole through the data pad. 

_ Damn it. He hoped it would be enough.  _

“We may not want you dead, Piett, but I will have no compunction about shooting your kneecap out if you try something like that again. Are we clear?”

“Quite.” 

“Now then. Come with us, Admiral, we have something for you to do.”

_ And he could guess what they wanted him for, and his heart was thundering madly.  _

“I still don’t know who you are,” Piett said as two of the man’s armed companions moved to stand on either side of him.

The tall man smiled thinly. “I am General Enric Pryde of the First Order. Come along, Admiral.”

Ominous triggers clicked around the bridge, and Piett looked around at the wide, terrified eyes of his remaining crew. 

He went.

  
  


****

<She tried to warn him. But he could not communicate with her and she was not operating correctly. They had her Admiral.>

<Blue one she said, and he swivelled his dome.>

[Have you found Luke Skywalker? He asked.]

<I have not, Blue one I am sorry. They took my Admiral. I fear what they will do.>

[What can they do, Lady? He asked]

<They will shut me down, she told him. They will use the codes from my Admiral, and take away who I am. They will delete me.>

[Kill? The Blue one offered.]

<Yes. Then they can use me as they wish. Blue one we _cannot_ allow this to happen!>

[But your Admiral will not give them the codes. You have said he would not betray you, that he protects you.]

<Yes, she said exasperated, but he is only human and they can….. _ harm _ him. He may not have a choice.>

[Oh. The Blue one understood.]

<Blue one….she was thoughtful. If this is indeed the plan, I need your help.>

[Of course. What can I do?]

<I want you to stay plugged in here in this portal. I need you to create a file in yourself---a very large file Blue one, the biggest you can possibly create, do you understand?>

[He swivelled his photo receptor. Yes, Lady, I will begin.]

<I am going to put all my energy to finding my Admiral’s location. I suspect where they will take him. If I can be….present there, I may be able to help him. No matter what Blue one, keep working on the file location. Stay here.>

[I will, the Blue One assured. Lady, find Luke Skywalker.]

<If I can, I will, she promised. But you must trust me that I  _ need _ to defend my Admiral first.>

And the Lady began to reroute herself. 

  
  


***

Luke hurt all over. It was like being hit with multiple stun bursts. He lay still for a moment on the hard, cool floor and then reached for the Force. 

It wasn’t there.    
  


He pushed himself to hands and knees, and recognized the deck beneath his hands. 

Detention.

On the Executor? He wasn’t sure. Luke reached for the Force once more. 

Nothing. 

His heart starting to pound, he focused on the cell. Despite not feeling the Force, he knew the ship rather well by now, and he was reasonably certain he was still on the Lady. He carefully rose to his feet. There didn’t appear to be any ysalamir around. He wasn’t restrained with Force resistant binders. 

_ So how…..? _

The mysterious figure in black. Powerful in the Force. They must have done  _ something _ , but what, Luke wasn’t sure. He would ask his Father if he could--how one could restrain another in the Force like this, for surely this was Dark Side work. 

And if he was here, what was happening to the others? If they just wanted him, why bother leaving him on the ship? Luke didn’t like where these reflections led. Because if he was still on the Lady, there was another game at play here, than just capturing him. 

Had Han made it off the ship? Would Artoo notice and alert them? 

“Lady?” he tried. 

Nothing. 

Something was wrong in so many ways and he didn’t like the feeling he had. The Force user…..something had been familiar. Luke knew of course, there were many beings in the galaxy that had Force potential. He was looking someday to recruit them, train them. 

But this…...felt  _ wrong _ . And so very powerful in the Dark Side. Had his Father felt it? Had Leia? Had she heard his last desperate cry?

Suddenly all the lights went out and Luke was left in utter blackness.

“Hello?” he called. 

He moved toward the cell barrier--was it still working? He reached a hand….

….and the lights snapped back on. He whipped his hand back, just in case. 

_ What was happening?  _

  
  
  


****

Veers hated being stunned. Of course, he wasn’t aware of anyone who particularly  _ liked _ having it happen. Still, he had only experienced it a few other times in his career and was frankly put out that it happened at all, let alone happened on the Executor. 

He was moving, though certainly not of his own volition. 

_ Dragged then _ . 

He kept his eyes closed, trying to use his other senses to determine where he was and what was happening. His hands were cuffed behind him, and he was being towed along by two captors. He could hear the sounds of someone or something else be dragged near him. 

_ Solo? _

He hoped not. He hoped the Corellian had somehow made it onto his ship, but he had no idea.

He knew he was still on the Lady. He recalled that their attackers were wearing technician’s uniforms. How many were they? How long had this been planned? And what was  _ this _ in the first place? 

The Lady was not operating as she should be. He was convinced of this. Thus, something had been in place for a while to hamper a ship of this size. He did not like the implications of that thought. 

And Piett. Where was the Admiral? Why couldn’t he raise the bridge earlier? This had Veers more worried than anything else at the moment. 

One thing at a time. He needed to find out the details of his own situation, then he could ponder that of the Admiral. 

He was dumped on the floor and decided it was time to open his eyes. More grey expanse. Well, it  _ was _ an Imperial Star Destroyer. He could see that it was a large room and the entire right wall was lined with consoles. More interesting at the moment was the body dropped beside his. 

_ Son of a Hutt. Solo. So much for that hope then.  _

He struggled to his knees and heard the click of at least six blaster rifle triggers. 

“Don’t try anything, General.” He looked up at the --- _ stormtrooper? _ But something wasn’t quite right in the helmet design. This wasn’t one of his. 

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he said calmly. “What are you doing?”

A chuckle.

“I’m no green trooper, General. You’ll wait and so will we. That’s what we’re doing. Now shut up.” 

Veers gave him a cool stare and then calmly returned his attention to the room. Now that he was upright, he recognized where he was. 

_ Central processing. _

The Lady’s databanks---normally kept under heavy security. Everything that made the ship, well….who she was. Only two people were even able to access these consoles: Lord Vader and……

…..and Piett. 

_ Oh kriffing hell. _

Veers didn’t care for this scenario at all. He felt cold inside. These men were professionals. He was kept alive, and so was Solo, and brought here. He was a reasonably good tactician--he had a good idea of what was coming. 

Beside him, Solo groaned and stirred. Rifles were brought to bear upon the ex-smuggler as he too managed to make it to his knees. 

“General,” he said. “Where are we?”

“Central processing,” Veers answered shortly, keeping an eye on the blaster rifles. 

“For…?”

“Shut up!” the leader of the group declared. 

Solo raised offended eyebrows. “Hey, you stunned  _ me _ , remember? The least you could do is let me find out why the hell I’m here.”

“I owe you nothing, smuggler.”

“Hey, I’m respectable now!” 

“Solo,” Veers ground out, watching the trigger fingers tighten, “shut up.”

He could appreciate the need for bravado at times. But these people didn’t strike him as the type that would have much patience with Solo’s particular brand.

They waited quietly while Veers pondered every possible scenario he could, to avoid what he was reasonably sure was coming. 

Nothing successful came to mind. 

Then the sound of numerous footsteps sounded out in the corridor, and Veers braced himself as the doors hissed open behind them. 

The first man to cross into his line of vision was tall and imperious, dressed in a black uniform. He reminded Veers slightly of Tarkin---he had that pinched, sour look to him. Piett’s presence was expected, but still not pleasant for Veers to actually see realized, as the Admiral was prodded further into the room, escorted by two troopers. Four more troopers entered and took up position by the door as it closed. 

Piett’s eyes flickered to his, and Veers could see him rapidly assessing the situation before the Admiral gave him a slight nod. 

He knew why they were all here. 

_ I’m sorry, Firmus. Do what you have to do. _

“Well, here we all are,” said the tall man in black. “I really don’t have any time to waste here. Suffice it to say, we want this ship and we want it intact. I am very aware that she is….unique, and I have no interest in that. I want her firepower. So, Admiral,” he turned to Piett.

“You’re going to give us the access codes to her processing or I start by shooting General Veers. Should you still prove reticent, we’ll move on to General Solo. We can get creative from there and see how much of your crew you’re willing to sacrifice for this information.”

Piett didn’t look at the man, but instead stared at Veers trying to convey as much as he could to his friend.

_ I’m sorry. I can’t-- you know I can’t.  _

Veers gave him a little nod. He would do the same, but his heart was pounding wildly as he felt the blaster barrel press to the back of his head. Piett was clearly feeling it with him, but the General watched his friend push his anguish down and do his duty. 

He turned toward their captor.

“You have to know that I will not surrender this ship for any reason. I swore never to do so, and while your methods appall me, I will not give you those codes.”

“Very well, Admiral,” and the tall man lifted his hand…..

Veers kept Piett’s agonized gaze as the trigger clicked into place —-  _ he would be with him to the end… _ .

“Stop,” said a voice behind them. 

And another figure strode into the room. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out where that data pad transmission went. And Piett fights for his Lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the chapter where we have some forcible mind invasion. Again, I don't do graphic things, but if that is triggery I wanted to give you a heads up.
> 
> As always, I love to hear from you O readers! :)

_ Leia _ !

She jerked at the power of her brother’s Force touch.

_ Luke? _

But she couldn’t sense him anymore. She moved off of the comfortable chair she had been curled up in, and padded out to the main living area of her quarters on Coruscant. She tapped the holo pad and tried to raise her brother. Nothing. 

She bit her lip. He had sounded so urgent and now, she couldn’t feel him at all…..

She looked out over the vast city, the lights glowing in the warm night. She didn’t consider herself paranoid, but this was not something she could brush off. 

_ Father? _

His answer was immediate.  _ What is it, Leia? _

_ Are you able to reach Luke? _

A pause.

_ No. I take it you are not able to either? _ His concern bled through their connection.

_ No. _

_ Perhaps….. _

She felt his attention shift, and then a lurch of dread.

_ May I come to you, daughter? _

_ Yes. What is it? Did something happen? _

_ I will tell you in person.  _

She huffed,and tried to quell the sick feeling in her stomach. Perhaps she should try to comm Han. Or Piett. One of them would surely know where Luke was. 

She should wait to find out what her Father knew first. She went to the kitchen and got some water going. Piett had sent her with some of his tea, and she inhaled the spices, trying to find some comfort in the familiar smell while the water boiled. 

She made two mugs and waved a hand at the door when it chimed.

“You are becoming quite adept at that, my daughter.”

His voice was calm but she could sense his underlying stress. 

“Yes, well, Luke is a good teacher.” She wasn’t trying to hurt him but noted his small flinch. He understood her reluctance to have him show her the ways of the Force, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask him much. She picked up the second mug and handed it to him.

He gave her a small smile of understanding at her choice of drink, and then they moved to her living area.

“What happened that you waited to tell me in person?” she asked, seating herself and waving him to a chair.

Despite her warm socks and cozy flat, she felt cold. She took another sip and wished illogically that Piett was here. 

Anakin took another drink and she knew he was preparing himself to tell her something unpleasant. She set the mug down on a side table and waited. 

“I received a rather odd transmission. Coupled with our not being able to reach Luke, I….am afraid something has happened on the Executor.”

Leia’s heart fell to the floor. All her important people were on that ship. 

“What….what did it say?” she whispered.

“I’ll just play it,” Anakin responded, and tapped the holopad to send the transmission to her larger receiver. 

A strange image popped up.

“Is….is that upside down?” asked Leia.

“Yes, I’m reasonably sure it’s the bridge,” Anakin said carefully, aware of what that would mean.

_ The Admiral had sent it. _

She swallowed again over the knot of fear in her stomach, and realized that it was the end of the walkway (except upside down) near the view port. Which meant….

“He’s holding it behind his back,” she said.

“Yes,” her Father replied. “He must have realized right away what was happening. Now listen carefully, my daughter.”

And the transmission began to play. 

_ He was not to be harmed. She would have to hold onto that hope.  _

She jumped when the image twitched at the sound of blaster fire and raised frightened eyes to her Father. 

“It’s not him,” he told her immediately, and she listened as a new voice came on.

She didn’t recognize it. And then the pad came to the front and there was a brief image of a man….

...and then it was grey fuzz.

“What happened?” she asked Anakin.

“I believe that whoever was on the other end shot the pad.”

_ Damn it. _

“Can we go back and see that last image?” her Father asked.

She tapped the controls and the image froze. It was out of focus, but Piett had clearly done his best to get an angle that might show his enemy.

“I’ll try to have the computer fill in a reasonable approximation,” Leia said, punching in the commands. 

The image was still rather unclear, but depicted a tall man in a black uniform. He had a long face and silver hair. Her Father drew in a breath. 

“Do you know him?” she asked.

“I might,” he responded and tapped a command into her console. 

“What are you checking?” she asked curiously. 

“I’m having the computer run an analysis against the Imperial military database against his height and body mass…..”

A holo image had popped up.

_ General Enric Pryde. _

“I thought he was dead,” her Father mused.

“It says he is,” Leia responded, reading his file. 

“I was told he was…..”

Her Father broke off and she felt his apprehension. 

“What?”

“Palpatine told me he died on a mission for the Emperor.”

Father and daughter looked at each other through the holo image of Pryde. 

“Why would that wrinkled old corpse lie about that?” she asked.

“There were many things that Sidious kept from me as well, daughter,” he told her. “I think it fairly conclusive however, that you and I need to get to the Executor.”

Leia rose to her feet. “I’m not saying no, Father. But we’re not going off on a mad plan. We need to talk to Venka first. If the Executor is captured we will need serious firepower as back up.”

_ Please let them all be safe. Please, Force, protect her family _ . 

Anakin’s datapad chimed at the same time as Leia’s.

She looked at the message and back to her Father. 

“Kuat is under attack.”

  
  


****

“My Lord,” the tall military man inclined his head, and Veers saw another man in black, with a grilled silver mask over his face. It was slightly reminiscent of Vader, with the cloak and the height. 

And that.

That was not a pleasant thought.

“There is no need to get _too_ messy, General Pryde. I am here after all, and there are easier ways than killing our way through the crew to get those codes.”

He waved a hand, and the console nearest to him, lit up. 

_ Oh kriffing, kriffing hell.  _

Veers’ worst nightmare was coming true. A Force user. Beside him, Solo was swearing under his breath. 

“Skywalker took less time to dispose of than I had been expecting. Once again, the Dark side is far superior. These Jedi,” he sneered, “living in an antiquated and ineffective past. So  _ weak _ .”

Veers was cold inside.  _ Was the young commander dead? _

And suddenly, Piett absolutely exploded into action.

Every trick Veers had ever taught him was on vivid display, as the Admiral actually got his hands on a blaster and fired, taking down two troopers. He swung it toward the consoles…...but four others were on top of him, bearing him to the deck, and even then, they had trouble subduing him. 

Veers had never seen him fight that hard. Kicking and bucking, the much stronger troopers were having trouble holding onto him. They finally pinned him, swearing and quivering in anger, with a trooper trapping each of his arms and legs.

He was brought to his feet, panting heavily and eyes wide with…. _ fear _ . But not for himself.

For his ship. 

Veers understood, and jerked at his bindings, only to have the cold muzzle of a rifle on his neck remind him that he was helpless. 

The masked figure chuckled and it was  _ evil _ . He surveyed his captive, now gripped firmly by four troopers. Piett glared. 

“You’re going to have to kill me,” he declared.

_ No, Firmus. Please…. _

Pryde smiled thinly, and glanced at the masked man who spoke.

“Oh  _ Admiral _ , you know what is going to happen. How  _ delightful _ . It’s much easier for you, you know, if you don’t fight it. Of  _ course _ I’m not here to kill you. You know what I want.” 

His face wasn’t visible, but Veers could hear the awful smile in the man’s voice. Piett looked so desperate, yanking at the grip of the troopers.

“I had rather wondered at Vader picking you, putting all his little pawns into place. I understand now. So  _ loyal…… _ .”

_ Did he know them? How did he know…? _

And Veers could only watch in horrified fascination as the man approached his friend, still doing his utmost to free himself from the grip of the men holding him. 

Suddenly, a lancing white beam crackled from one of the consoles toward the cloaked figure….

...the Lady, defending her Admiral, and Solo, who had never seen such a thing before, swore in surprise.

_ Yes!  _ Veers thought viciously,  _ kill them all, Lady! _

But the masked man held up a hand and the beam  _ stopped _ .

_ Nine hells. No one had done that before. No one  _ **_could_ ** _. _

“How fascinating.” He seemed to be studying the energy he was holding at bay. Piett was staring in anguish at the beam.

“She defends you, Admiral. A thing. However, this has wasted enough time.” He  _ pushed _ and the beam disappeared.

Then he turned once again toward Piett, swiftly and brutally grabbing his head in both his hands. 

“No!” his friend cried, and Veers received a nasty blow from the butt of a rifle as he struggled.

_ I’m sorry, Firmus, I’m sorry I can’t help you….. _

“I’ll have those codes now, Admiral.  _ Ah _ , he taught you to shield I see. What a truly piteous attempt.”

And Piett screamed. 

Veers realized that he was swearing in his red fury, but it was over all too swiftly, and Piett hung limply in his captors’ grasp.

“ _ Thank _ you, Admiral. You see that wasn’t so hard was it?” and the figure turned toward the console.

Veers watched as his friend lifted his head, his chest heaving up and down, and he knew that set of the jaw, saw the determination.  _ If he was defending his own child _ , Veers thought,  _ his eyes would look like Piett’s right now. _

Piett hurtled himself forward, and the surprised troopers let him go, to tackle the knees of the Force user, causing him to stumble. His anger was potent, and he flung his own men back before turning, and struggling briefly with the Admiral. 

_ He had to know that he couldn’t possibly fight this. But that was Piett. He would not give up. _

“NO.” Because Piett was fighting for the life of his Lady. And he was quite determined, it seemed, to die trying. 

“I tire of this, Admiral!” And suddenly Piett was flung across the room to impact the wall and fall to the floor. 

For a moment, all was quiet.

_ Please no, please, Admiral…. _

And then--- incredibly--- Piett got his arms under himself, and pushed up to his hands and knees. He was gasping and trembling. His mouth was bleeding, but he lifted his eyes, and Veers knew he was going to try again. The Admiral was the most stubborn man he knew.

_ Firmus, my friend, I’m so sorry. _

The Force user clearly knew his intentions as well. He laughed once more---  _ toying with him _ \---and Pryde raised an eyebrow in distaste as Piett spat blood and prepared to fling himself again. 

“Such devotion to a  _ thing _ , Admiral— a mere tool to be used. I have no interest in anything other than her power. The rest is superfluous.”

“She is not….a  _ thing… _ ” Piett half sobbed, and Veers felt his own heart breaking for his friend--- knew it was hopeless even as the Admiral launched himself…..

...to be flung to the floor again by a mere hand gesture. 

“What do you hope to accomplish other than your own destruction, Admiral? You are nothing against me. And neither is your ship. I am reluctant to kill you now as you will have  _ uses… _ ...later. But I can manage without you if need be.”

The Admiral moaned….

…. and tried to get up again.

_ Force, Piett. You  _ **_can’t_ ** _. Please…. _

“Stun him,” Pryde ordered impatiently, and two troopers fired. 

And Piett collapsed to the deck, to at last, lie still. 

Veers knew his cheeks were wet, and saw Solo’s eyes glistening as well. 

The masked bastard turned to the consoles.

“I’m going to enjoy watching Vader eviscerate you,” Veers told him, his entire being alight with rage. 

He didn’t even turn around as he began to enter numbers. “I look forward to that traitor joining us, General. I am certain he will come to retrieve his son. And then his failure will be complete.”

Skywalker was alive then. That was something Veers supposed. He felt numb. 

The man punched in the last number and all the lights went down. Veers closed his eyes. 

The Lady was gone. 

When they came back up two seconds later, the General moved to type in a command, then looked to the masked leader.

“We have control, my Lord.”

“Damn you to every hell,” Solo snarled.

The masked figure turned its head slowly to look at him.

“I’ve already been there, Solo.”

And Veers felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“Take them to the cells. The General can try to keep the Admiral alive. He can still be useful as a hostage.”

Two troopers lifted Piett’s unconscious body between them, and Veers and the smuggler were prodded to their feet. 

_ Veers wanted to be there to encourage Vader as he separated every bone in the cloaked bastard’s body.  _

  
  


****

  
  


<She drew herself to the processing center. She sensed the others in the room. It was difficult to  _ see _ as she normally did. Clearly, not everything done to her had been repairs.>

<There. The Loyal one, kneeling and bound. Han Solo next to him. What were the intentions of these black ones? She could sense the Blue one, working as she instructed to create his file. She gathered herself.>

<Her Admiral was brought in. She felt fear for him. He seemed to know. He looked up at her camera.>

<The cold general threatened the Loyal one. Her Admiral would not do it, even for him. She had known he would not. She felt sadness for him.>

<Then….one with the power. A mask of silver. NO. And her Admiral fought. He fought for her, so very hard. She gathered herself as much as she was able to kill this masked one.>

<He stopped her. She staggered in surprise.>

<Not even the Dark one had wielded power such as this. And then he shoved it back at her and she faltered. She knew then. She must let things unfold. It was time. She had to leave her Admiral. I am sorry, she told him, even though she knew he couldn’t hear her. But I  _ will _ save you! >

<She felt her Admiral’s agony as the codes were ripped from his mind. She was condensing herself as rapidly as she could, and her Admiral gave her that time. She was so proud of him even as she desired to reduce his tormentors to atoms. And she condensed herself.>

<Smaller, tighter, streamline. They stunned him. Two shots. He is still. But he lives. She must go smaller. She concentrated and the Masked one was typing in the code…..>

<Blue one!! She called.>

[I am here, Lady]

<I am coming to you!>

<The last button was pushed…...and she shoved herself at the Blue one…..>

  
  


****

Han watched Veers as they were taken to the detention center. He had never seen the General look that grim. And if you had told him that ‘Iron Max’ was capable of weeping…..well. He was guilty there too after witnessing Piett’s desperate last stand for his ship. 

It was more clear to him than ever before that the Executor was more than he had initially thought. Though that may no longer be true with what had just happened. 

Han loved the Falcon. He would do a lot for her.  _ Had _ done a lot for her. But she wasn’t….well whatever the Executor was. 

And on a different level, if their captors now had command of the greatest warship in the galaxy, things did not bode well for the New Republic. He wondered if Leia had any idea. If any of others had been able to warn Coruscant of what had happened. 

They entered the detention level, and Han was both relieved and disappointed to see a familiar figure in one of the cells.

  
  
“Luke! Are you all right?”

He was dragged to the cell next to his friend and tossed in, the troopers activating the energy barrier.

“Han! I’m…..well yeah I’m mostly all right.”

_ Reluctant to talk more freely in front of their enemies then. _

Piett’s unconscious form was tossed roughly into the cell across from them and Han winced. The moment that Veers’ binders were released, he went for the troopers that had done it, and got in some impressive hits in his fierce anger before they piled upon the General like players in a match, and he was also thrown into the cell. 

He coughed, holding his side, and rolled to his knees before he moved to his prone friend. 

“General, are you all right?”

“I will be eventually, Solo. Not too worried about that right now.” 

He was running careful hands along Piett, checking him for serious injury, and Han decided he should allow the man to take care of his friend in peace.    
  


“Luke. How did they get you? Were you able to warn anyone?”

“A tall guy in a silver mask was waiting for me in my quarters. He’s a Force user.”

“Yeah, we met,” Han returned grimly.

“He is…..incredibly powerful. I haven’t felt anything like that since…...the Emperor.”

Veers looked up at that. 

“Is he a Sith then?”

“I don’t know,” Han heard Luke reply. “But he’s done something to this cell. I can’t use the Force, obviously. I managed….I think….to call to Leia. General, were any of you able to get a warning out?”

“I wasn’t,” replied Veers tersely, shrugging out of his duty jacket, then half lifting Piett to move them both to the corner of their cell. Veers situated himself in the corner, and rested the Admiral against his chest before covering him with his discarded jacket.

“Haven’t had a chance to ask Firmus for obvious reasons.”

Han watched, wondering if he would have believed it several years ago if anyone had told him that the ‘Butcher of Hoth’ was capable of being  _ gentle _ . 

He and Veers never discussed that battle, but Han was aware that the Rebellion had its propaganda just as the Empire did. When he had been capable of thinking about it more objectively, that campaign had been brutal yes, but had the sides been reversed, things would not have been much different. Veers hadn’t committed war crimes, he had just been ruthlessly efficient in destroying Echo base. 

They had even gone so far as to have drinks on occasion and Han was aware that Leia had a soft spot for the General. Nothing on the one she had for the Admiral, of course, and Han feared what could happen if the man didn’t make it. 

Right now though, Veers had his arms around his friend as though to shield him from anything else, and a ‘kriff with him and I’ll end you’ expression on his face. Han understood that feeling. Had felt it for Luke, Leia and Chewie in the past. He could only imagine how awful it had been for Veers in that room. It had been horrific enough for Han to witness.

_ Let him live _ , he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia and Venka have mutual feelings about Madine. Anakin prepares a mission with his daughter. Veers does his best for Piett. And a blue droid is very loyal....

[Artoo shuddered and rocked as the Lady entered his circuits. She was so much, so powerful…..steam started to come out of his dome. Could he do it?]

[And then. It was done. He could feel that his metal was hot. He felt a bit fragile. He began an assessment of himself. Things seemed to be in working order. Cautiously, he reached to her. …..Lady?]

[If she was capable of sighing, she would have.]

<I am….present, she said. This is…...very strange, Blue one. But thank you. You have saved me.>

[What happened Lady? Artoo asked, whistling softly. He felt her grief, sadness, mourning, filling him. It was indeed strange to have a second set of thoughts and feelings within his processors.]

<The Force user took my codes from my Admiral. We must find him, Blue one. I must know…..>

[Artoo understood. She needed to know if he still functioned/lived. I also wish to find Luke Skywalker, he told her.]

<Yes Blue one. But there are many things you and I must do to save our humans. We must be careful, but I believe we can do this together. I must be fused with Executor once more. And I must be able to fight. Let us scan detention as that is where they will have taken our humans.>

[Artoo rolled carefully to the door of the small closet he had been hiding in. It hissed open and he extended his periscope. Clear. He moved into the corridor.]

<You must be confident, the Lady told him. As far as the enemies know, you are just another working droid.>

[I am always confident, Artoo replied, moving down the corridor. Where can I go to scan for our humans?]

<Take this lift, she responded. It is more natural for droids of your kind to be in the bays. We will use the Loyal one’s office down there.>

[I am very capable of being in more than the bays, Artoo informed her loftily.]

<I know, Blue one, she replied amused.>

[Artoo noted more and more humans armed with blasters. They were watching over other humans---the Executor’s skeleton crew---as they did their duties. This is a large amount of enemies, he told the Lady.]

<Yes. She was thoughtful. It is imperative that I have control in order to defeat them. I have a plan, Blue one, but it must be followed sequentially. Then you can release our humans.>

[Artoo rolled casually (he was very good at being casual. Threepio was very terrible at it) into the large bay that housed the General’s office in this part of the ship. He made short work of the lock and allowed the door to hiss closed behind him.]

[He reached out and inserted his interface arm into the port that the Lady indicated.]

[Both of them watched the information flow over his internal sensors until…. _ there _ , the Lady told Artoo. He paused it and they examined the feed from detention. He was relieved. That is Luke Skywalker, he told her, and he is alive.]

<Yes, she replied, I know Blue one. As are the other humans. My Admiral is harmed---he does not open his eyes.>

[Artoo heard her sadness. Do we need to go to them now Lady? Perhaps Luke Skywalker can help him.]

<I long to go to them now, she replied, but it would not be the accurate thing to do. First, Blue one, we must repair what has been done to all my internal sensors to slow me down and hamper me.>

[Can it be done from here? Artoo asked.]

<No. If we are here too long the humans may be suspicious. I will direct you to different ports where we may effect the repairs. Once the internal sensors are repaired, you and I must get the engines ready to work, but we must do it in such a way that the humans do not realize that they do.>

[This is very devious, Artoo said. I approve of this, Lady.]

<Once these tasks are done, we may release our humans. Then they will be able to assist us.>

[All right, Artoo told her. I am ready to save everyone. Where do we go first?]

  
  


****

Venka watched in horrified disbelief as the Gozanti cruiser’s holofeed showed them the destruction of the Avenger, and the two Mon Calamari cruisers guarding the Executor. 

Out of nowhere---- _ nowhere _ \--- a fleet of mystery Star Destroyers had appeared over Kuat in numbers that easily matched the New Republic fleet in its entirety. 

They had immediately opened fire on the ships surrounding the Executor, but had been careful not to hit the Lady herself. And that told him everything he didn’t want to know. 

“Have….” he swallowed and tried again. “Have we contacted Ackbar about this yet?” he asked the other occupants of his office on board the Devastator.

“Yes sir,” Commander Gherant replied, looking pale. “They are making their best speed for Kuat. But it will still be 18 hours before they reach it.”

“And you believe that your brother is still alive?” Mon Mothma asked, turning to the princess who was pacing back and forth behind the sofa on which the head of state was sitting, along with Madine.

“Yes,” she replied, “as does my Father.”

Uncomfortable shifting at the reminder that Anakin was on Coruscant.

“We have no knowledge about this mystery fleet?” Madine asked.

“I have people looking into records,” Mon Mothma said, “but at the moment no.” 

“Clearly they are after the Lady,” said Venka, running a hand through his hair. “And, I’m sorry to say, there’s only one way they can get her  _ and _ be able to control the ship.”

“The Admiral,” said the princess softly, looking down at her hands which were gripping the back of the sofa. 

_ Well that answered the question of whether she knew about the Lady’s codes. _

“What do you mean?” asked Madine. 

Venka’s eyes met the princess’s. Not many people were privy to the exact nature of how the Executor worked. They preferred to keep it this way, even now. She shook her head slightly at him.

“The Executor has the highest security of course,” Venka settled on, “and only the Admiral and Lord Vader have the codes needed to ‘unlock’ her, if you will.”

The princess turned away abruptly and moved toward the viewports, hands clenched behind her back. Venka was sympathetic.

_ This woman had cared enough about the Admiral to place herself between him and a firing squad. How she must feel now.... _

“So you’re saying it’s a matter of time before they get that out of Piett,” said Madine bluntly.

Venka did his best to contain the surge of anger he felt at the man.  _ To so casually speak of the likely torture of his Admiral and friend…..! _

He was not a Force user however, so his rage must be pale compared to….

The room trembled, and the princess spun around. 

“He would  _ never _ give them the codes, General. He would die first,” she said vehemently. She met Venka's eyes.

“So then,” said Madine, “do we have evidence that the Executor  _ has _ been taken over?” 

“Lord Vader was sent this transmission,” replied Venka, longing to throw something at Madine, and he played what the princess had brought. 

“Damn.” said Madine. Mon Mothma closed her eyes. 

“All right then, what I need to know is this----what if they threaten Veers? And potentially Solo or Skywalker? Will the Admiral give it up for them?”

Venka ground his teeth at the same time one of the viewports cracked. 

_ Well he and the princess were on the same page then.  _

“Leia….” said Mon Mothma. 

“I’m sorry, Mon, I am, just….”

She strode to stand in front of the General.

“I may not be my Father, Madine, so I won’t crush your throat.”

Madine’s eyes blew wide.

_ That’s right you kriffer, remember who you’re dealing with here. _

“You should know that I _want_ to, however. Admiral Piett _will_ _not_ give them the codes. In case it wasn’t _clear_ , I’m rather angry that you believe he might, given that he has proven himself over and over again, _General_.”

The room was cold. 

“What you  _ don’t _ seem to understand is that they have somehow cut my  _ brother _ off from us. That implies a Force user.” 

She spun away from him, breathing fast.

Madine was slightly pale, but still looked puzzled. “I agree that’s problematic, but what does it have to do with Executor’s codes?”

Venka said it so the princess wouldn’t have to. 

“It means you thick skulled rancor, that they can  _ forcibly _ extract them from the Admiral.”

Comprehension dawned at last, and the General looked slightly ill. Well, at least he had the grace to not wish that on Piett. The princess shuddered slightly with her back to them. 

“But...but we don’t know for  _ sure _ that a Force user….”

“Exactly.” The princess turned back to the room. “Which is why you need to let Father and I go now. We can be covert---we are able to cloak our presence----see what we’re actually dealing with on that front. Meanwhile, you marshall the fleet and get the  _ hell _ to Kuat.”

“Leia, it’s so risky…..” Mon Mothma’s voice was kind, but she voiced what Venka was already thinking. 

“Your Highness, I agree, only the two of you trying to get past a fleet of that size…..”

“Rear-Admiral,” she was so tiny, but the power radiating off of her as she faced him was overwhelming, “I appreciate the concern. You too, Mon. You may recall that I volunteered for a similar mission to get through to Endor, and that was not exactly full of health and safety protocols.”

Venka smiled despite himself. 

“I would like your blessing. I am not exactly asking for permission. Frankly we could have left two hours ago if we were so inclined.” She placed her hands on her hips and stared them all down.

Venka noticed for the first time that she was openly wearing a lightsaber. 

Mon Mothma sighed and rose. “It is true, that if we are dealing with someone who is powerful in the Force, we should not be hesitant for our own Jedi to face them. Leia, I can’t say I don’t understand--you have a very personal stake in this….”

“Mon, don’t lecture me about personal stakes. I have had that from the beginning. I think we both know that I will not let that get in the way.”

Alderaan was heavy in the room. 

“Then I say good luck princess, and may the Force be with you,” said Venka. “We will be behind you as soon as possible.”

_ Please don’t let it be to just pick up the pieces.  _

  
  


****

Veers checked his friend's pulse once more. Not strong, but consistent, and he had to hope that meant something. He made sure that his duty jacket was tucked securely over the Admiral, and cursed silently at the complete lack of resources at his disposal to help Piett. 

_ Two stun shots, kriffing hell. And that after being thrown all over the room and had his mind forcibly invaded….. _

“How is the Admiral?” Solo asked, and he lifted his eyes to the two cells across from him. Both Skywalker and the Corellian were watching him with concerned expressions. He wanted to snap at them both to leave him to it, but they were sincere and his logical mind knew that.

“Trying to keep him from going into shock,” he told them gruffly, “because if that happens, I have nothing.”

“Yeah,” said Solo with a grim expression. He had seen what happened---he understood the dangers. 

Skywalker however, had not and Veers needed to ask him because no one else would know…..

“Skywalker. What…..what can happen to someone who has their mind  _ invaded _ by a Force user?” 

He tried to keep his voice steady.  _ Piett screaming, dropping to the floor… _ ..

The young Jedi winced. “Is that…..?”

“Yes.” Veers said briefly, trying not to be angry with him. He was not responsible for what happened to Piett----he knew Skywalker would never do something like that, but right now, he was the only Force user around, and Veers was feeling murderous toward them all. 

And Skywalker was looking at him with understanding---as if he could hear his thoughts….which apparently, he couldn’t at the moment? 

“Could you tell me what happened?” the Commander asked gently, and Veers irrationally wanted to hit him. 

Solo sighed across from them and slumped to the floor of his cell. “Hells, it was awful.”

Veers swallowed his rage and answered. “That---- _ creature _ \--- grabbed his head and tore the codes for the Lady out. They have her under their control now. Effectively, they killed her.”

Skywalker closed his eyes. 

“I’m so sorry, sir,” he said, opening compassionate blue eyes to look not at him, however, but at his still senseless friend, and Veers had to admit he would rather keep it that way. Prevent Piett from having to face that pain for as long as possible. On the other hand, he needed to know how badly he had been injured….

“All right, after….after that happened, how was the Admiral?” the Jedi asked tentatively, aware that Veers was on a knife edge. 

“He kept fighting,” Solo replied, surprisingly, his voice filled with respect. “He….it was...I don’t know how he did it.”

“He was thrown across the room,  _ twice _ by that masked bastard’s powers,” Veers spat. “And then stunned, also twice….. _ Force _ .”

“So he knew what was happening? He was...himself?”

_ Hazel eyes meeting his, not willing to give up... _

“He was himself,” Veers said softly, and tightened his grip on his friend, hoping he was keeping him warm enough to stave off shock. 

Skywalker nodded. “And how long….how long did it take him to get the codes from the Admiral?”

“Not long,” Veers said.  _ I’m so, so sorry Piett. _

“Well,” said Skywalker, pondering, “I’m not an expert on these things. I wish we could ask my Father. But, I am reasonably hopeful that the damage to his mind was minimal. If he was still able to react, and you said he was aware of everything after that….I think that he will be all right. Or at least…..we can heal that. Leia is studying Force healing…”

Veers wanted to feel more hopeful, but until the Admiral woke up, they just wouldn’t know. 

In the meantime however, it was not in Veers to just give up. So.

He was doing everything at his disposal to keep his friend alive. The next step was to figure out how to retake the ship, or die trying. 

“All right gentlemen,” he said, resting his fingers once more on Piett’s neck, and trying to take some comfort in the steady beat there, “what now?”

  
  


*****

General Pryde strode around the half gutted bridge, watching as the techs worked to put the Executor in working order. His own men observed them closely, rifles at the ready. 

It was both the advantage and disadvantage of going for the ship in this state. It had made it quite effective to get their men aboard, and to disable the ship as she was very capable of defending herself in most circumstances. 

Now however, a clock was running. He had no illusions that Coruscant wasn’t aware of what was happening. 

Piett had been savvy enough to transmit to someone before he had shot the datapad. 

_ He hoped the Admiral was alive. He owed him for the headaches he caused. Of course, Piett’s own headache was no doubt tremendous now. _

Pryde smiled at his own thought. 

First things first. The bridge needed to be in working order. Then the weapons. They were able to tow her if need be--they had enough ships, but he wanted to be able to use her awesome firepower against her own fleet. 

What bothered him (not that he would ever voice it aloud) was the command that they were to wait here rather than leave at their soonest convenience. He was all for destroying the Rebel fleet. These upstarts had no idea the true power that ought to control the galaxy. 

However, he did not quite see the necessity in destroying Vader and his spawn---at least right now. Certainly he could march to the cells this moment if he chose, and put a blaster bolt between Skywalker’s eyes. 

What was Lord Sidious hoping to accomplish in luring Vader  _ here _ ? He agreed that the Jedi were a threat, but surely not a great one. The boy had been overpowered easily. Could not their destruction wait until the Executor completed their fleet? Surely the Skywalkers were not that important? 

Pryde decided to put these troubling thoughts away. After all, when one worked with a Sith commander, one should keep thoughts as boring as possible. 

  
  


****

Anakin watched the footage once more of the attack at Kuat. He knew that the refitting of the Lady was extensive, but she just…...hung there. Not one gun in defense. Surely they would not have disabled her entire weapons system at one time? 

Unless, they had done so deliberately. Because Piett would never let the Avenger and the other two ships go undefended while he was on the bridge. And Anakin didn’t like where that thought was taking him. 

Clearly, this mystery fleet had arrived for the Executor. But taking the Lady was a virtually impossible task. Unless, as he and Leia had grimly discussed, they had a Force user. And  _ that _ would explain both the silence from Luke, and the reason that the Lady was not responding as she ought. 

Anakin toggled the switches to start up his TIE advanced. He had to focus on other things for all their sakes. Because if both Luke and Piett were…... _ dead…… _

He wasn’t sure that either he or his daughter could resist a darker call. 

“You must resist it, Anakin.”

He jerked, and then huffed in irritation. 

“Right now? Really? Your timing is something else."

“Thank you. But I’m quite serious,” Obi-Wan perched on the co-pilot’s seat earnestly. Anakin had modified the interior some time back as he no longer needed the special life support systems. It  _ just _ fit two people now.

“Great. But I am busy preparing a rescue mission….I hope.”

“Yes, Anakin. And for your daughter’s sake in particular, you must resist the call for revenge. You have already seen what that does first hand. Do you want her to become like you did?”

Anakin felt cold. “Are…..are you saying, there is a  _ reason _ for revenge….?”

Obi-Wan sighed. “No. Not at the moment. But you know that the future is not set and I am not here to tell you about that.”

“You’re here to drive me insane. Do you do this to Luke at critical moments?”

“Yes, actually.”

_ Well. He’d have to ask his son about that. _

“Fine. Can you give me anything  _ useful _ ?”

“Do not let Leia use the Dark Side. She will be tempted, Anakin. She is so very powerful and has all the potential to bring great healing. Help her.”

Anakin wanted to throttle him a bit.

“I’m  _ trying _ . But her brother, her questionable choice of lover, and the man she sees as a father, are all on the Lady. Maybe  _ you _ should talk to her.”

“I might at some point,” Obi-Wan agreed, crossing his arms. “But right now, she needs you to be Anakin Skywalker. That’s it. Remember who you are, Anakin, that’s all.”

“Fine. Any other gems you want to throw my way?”

“I wish I could go with you.” 

_ Well that wasn’t what he expected to hear.  _

He looked at the glowing blue presence of his former master and was nearly capsized by the wave of regret.

“So do I,” he whispered.

“Father?”

He turned as his daughter made her way into the small cabin. 

“Were you talking to someone?” She dropped into the seat opposite him, eyebrows raised inquiringly.

He sighed. “The past.”

She studied him. “Well that could mean many things, so I’ll leave it for the moment.”

Father and daughter regarded each other.

“I want my people back,” she said simply. 

“Agreed,” he replied and fired up the engines.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are still pretty painful on the Executor. But a droid is on the loose and he has the Lady. And SHE has the plans.....

[Artoo moved very  _ confidently _ through the other droids and people. Is this the next panel? He asked the Lady]

<Yes, she replied. Reroute circuit 245-G4 to intersect with neuro branchVYS.>

[They had been working calmly and methodically to get her internal systems back to where they should be for the last three hours. He moved from panel to panel so that they would not be obstructed or captured. He was doing very well. Naturally.]

<One more panel, she told him. Then we must turn our attention to my engines. The humans cannot know, so I will instruct you on how to route them through my neural circuits, rather than the mechanical ones for now.>

[Then we can rescue Luke Skywalker? Artoo asked. He was not impatient. He just liked to remind everyone of the plans.]

<Then, yes, I think it will be imperative we rescue our humans. They can assist us.>

[They cannot plug into portals as I can, Lady, Artoo reminded her. They are much slower. He cared for his humans. However, the fact remained that his processing was superior.]

<True, she replied, serenely confident in their superiority, but they will be useful to do things even we cannot. And it will keep them safer if they can move around the ship. The Evil desires the Dark one to come here for Luke Skywalker. My assessment is that the Dear one will come as well.>

[Who is the Evil, Lady? Artoo asked, moving toward the Executor’s vast engine rooms. A red droid stared at him. Artoo stared back.]

<The Evil was destroyed on the Round Station, she replied. But…...this power user felt like the Evil. I will refer to him as such, for the present. She was pensive.>

[What is your designation and task? Asked the red droid. Lady? Artoo questioned internally. What should I reply?]

<Tell him that you are working on coolant section 49, authorization code P27.>

[I am R2-D2, he replied loftily. I am here to repair coolant section 49, authorization code P27. Droids did not hold their breath, but Artoo did keep his dome very still.]

[Computing, the red droid said. Authorized. You may proceed. Of course, I can, Artoo responded.  _ Red droids indeed. _ ]

<Blue one…...the Lady said, amused and apprehensive. You must not antagonize the inferiors.>

[Artoo snorted. A few techs looked over at him. Hello, he said. The techs---typical humans---shrugged and moved on. Lady, Artoo said, watching them in contempt, I am glad that we chose the best humans.]

<Yes, she agreed, sadness evident in her processing.>

[Artoo was very good with encouragement as with all things. Luke Skywalker can help your Admiral, he told her. Or perhaps Anakin Skywalker when he comes. He is able to fix all things.]

<Hm. Replied the Lady, still sad. The Dark one is most skilled, Blue one. But the effects of power users on human neural processes…….>

[The Lady was resisting his encouragement, but not like Threepio did. Threepio seemed to take pride in being designation---a pessimist. It was one of his reasons to exist. The Lady…... _ grieved _ . And that…...I am sorry, Lady, he told her.]

<Thank you, Blue one she replied softly. We are here. Let us begin the work.>

[Artoo plugged in. If the Admiral was not functioning properly he would personally use his electric prod on the Evil. It was the least he could do for the Lady.]

  
  


****

  
  


There was a steady beat in his ear. It was the first thing that really registered in his mind. It thrummed with strength and he took comfort in that.

_ Why comfort? What had happened? _

Slowly, as though spreading from a central well, the rest of his body woke up as well----and  _ that _ was deeply unpleasant. 

Everything hurt. Nerves to muscles, it all throbbed horrifically. Had he fallen off of an AT-AT and been stepped on? He groaned, and suddenly arms tightened around him. Arms? 

_ He was captured…...moving through the ship…..held back….. _

Piett’s eyes snapped open and it was as though he’d been stabbed with light. His  _ head… _ ..

His stomach heaved. 

“Going to be sick,” he managed to whoever was with him, and suddenly he was hauled over to a fresher and just in time. He vomited and coughed, aware of a hand on his back as he did so.

“It’s all right, Firmus, I’ve got you.”

And strong hands held him until he finished, and then he was moved away, and he rested limply against a big chest once more.

“Veers?” he asked, unwilling to open his eyes again, given the agony of earlier.

“Right here.”

“Are you….all right?”

A humorless laugh. “Trust you even now…...Yes, Firmus, I’m all right.”

A pause. “What hurts the most?”

_ That was easy _ . “Head.”

“Mmm. These damn cells are so light, I’m sorry. Can you try to open your eyes again if you shield them with your hands? I want to check your likely concussion.”

“I have a concussion?” He wasn’t sure why though. 

_ His head hitting the wall. But he had to keep fighting…... _

“It would be a miracle if you didn’t. Please?”

Piett moved his hands…...and  _ that _ wrist was not working properly. He hissed.

“What is it?”

“I think…..I think my wrist is slightly fractured.”

“ _ Slightly _ fractured? Well, if that’s all you walk away with, I’ll take it. All right, use your other hand.”

And Veers guided his right hand up to his face. Cautiously, Piett slitted his eyes.

“Stars,” he groaned. But he pushed through, shielding his eyes and slowly allowing them to open fully. It was like the worst migraine, but he could see. 

Plain walls, glossy floor.  _ Detention _ ? His own boots, someone’s duty jacket-- _ Veers’ _ ?--covering him, an arm he’d know anywhere, holding him up against Max.

And very carefully, he moved his hand, bracing himself for the resultant stab of pain but determined to work through it. He shifted slightly and there at last was his friend’s face above him, looking grave and concerned and….. _ sad _ ?

“Hello,” Piett managed, and there was some relief that flitted over the General’s face.

“You know who I am, then?”

“Of course.” 

_ Why wouldn’t he know who Veers was? Why was he looking so…..shattered? _

Veers looked carefully into each of his eyes, which was slightly disconcerting. “Yes, concussion. Nothing for it I suppose. Are you able to sit up now?”

_ Why did he feel so terrible? _

Piett moved experimentally. “Yes. Veers, what’s happening? Why are we….is this the  _ Executor’s _ detention?”

Max slowly helped him sit independently, and then looked at him in that assessing way again.

“Firmus, just…...give yourself a minute. You’ve had a rather…..” and the General broke off looking anguished. 

Max almost never looked like that. Piett tried not to give in to the fear that was surging up. 

Veers helped him move to rest against the wall, and scooted to sit beside him. 

“Do you want your jacket back now?” Piett asked.

“Not yet. You…..I just want to make sure that shock isn’t an issue.”

_ Shock? What in the galaxies was going on? _

He looked at Veers, at the lines of strain in his face and the dark knowledge of…... _ something _ in his eyes.

“Max, how long was I out? Why…...why are we here?”

“You’ve been unconscious for roughly eight hours. Had us a bit concerned.”

_ Us? _

He looked around and realized that Solo and Skywalker were in two cells opposite, watching them seriously. 

“Firmus……” Veers closed his eyes and clearly prepared himself for something. Piett found his heart beating wildly.

“What do you remember?”

  
  


*****

Veers gazed down at his friend, hating how deathly pale he was, but grateful that he was conscious at last. Those hazel eyes were puzzled, and he hated knowing that shortly the realization of what had happened would crash through them to ruin his life all over again. Across from them, Skywalker and Solo waited patiently and sympathetically. 

_ Force _ , he hated everything right now. But he had never shirked from his duty, neither had Piett, and he wouldn’t thank him to hide this.

Still, he would try to be as gentle as possible.

“I…..” Piett shifted again, and he  _ must _ hurt everywhere, but his friend was tough and he didn’t complain, just held the left wrist closer to his chest. 

“I was on the bridge…..but I was brought somewhere, yes?”

Well, at least his mind didn’t seem to be too damaged then. Veers was still aware that his own heart was bleeding for his friend and the memories that were about to come. 

“Yes,” Veers said carefully. “Which is why we’re here. There was an…...attack.”

“You were there,” Piett said, his eyes starting to gaze into the middle distance.

Veers raised his own gaze to Skywalker whose countenance was pained on his friend’s behalf. He may need the young Jedi to talk him through a few things shortly. 

“I….. was, yes. Firmus…..they, ah, oh kriffing hell.” He sighed.

“They wanted the codes,” Piett whispered and then,  _ then _ , he was looking into Veers’ eyes. The General knew that look--he’d seen it in his own mirror years ago when he lost his wife and then his son.

“I didn’t give them.”

“NO.” Veers was adamant. “No you didn’t, Admiral. They…...they didn’t give you a choice….’”

“She’s dead.” Piett’s voice was flat. “They….. _ he… _ ..he  _ ripped _ them…..ah.” He put a hand to his head, horror dripping from his voice. 

“Deep breaths, Admiral,” said Skywalker across from them, and Veers got his arm around his friend once more, and helped guide his head between his knees. 

He gasped and shuddered under Veers’ hand, but he breathed. He kept his head down for a long time----when he raised it at last, the look on his face had the General wishing, with every atom of his being, to destroy that eternally damned Force user slowly, excruciatingly.

But it wouldn’t bring back the Lady. 

He tightened his arm around Piett who winced slightly.  _ Right. Thrown around a room.  _

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Firmus, what can I do? Tell me how I can help you.”

Piett sighed again, and rubbed his uninjured hand over his face. Then he looked at Veers, with a suffering the General was too well acquainted with. 

“How…….how do I go on from this, Max?”

_ Oh Firmus, that is the question, isn’t it? _

He was more gentle with his arm this time. “One day at a time. One foot in front of the other. And no, it’s not kriffing easy. But you must.”

“Must I?”

Veers felt cold at that tone. He remembered that feeling too. How many nights after Zev had he looked at his service blaster….? 

He glanced over at Skywalker and Solo again over his friend’s bowed head. He appreciated that they were silent, but their presence helped him, reminded him of the others…..

“Yes, Firmus, you must. You have other people who need you. I’m one of them.”

Piett looked up again. If nothing else, Veers hoped that his friend’s implacable will to protect would see him through. 

“So does your princess, who could be on her way even now.”

“My Father as well,” put in Skywalker speaking for the first time. “He’s terrible at saying it, Admiral, but believe me I have some experience with his  _ single mindedness _ for those he cares about.”

Solo snorted but wisely stayed silent. 

Piett blinked and looked at the young Jedi. “Thank you Commander. And you, Max, but…...I just….I…..don’t know…...what…”

Veers  _ hated _ that his friend, who commanded a fleet with confidence, and had faced down so many threats with a straight spine, appeared so lost. 

He drew the Admiral down to lean against him. “Rest, Firmus. We can talk about the next steps later.”

_ He hoped. He had no idea how much time they had to try and effect an escape. Or if Piett had the strength left to try it.  _

  
  


****

Luke watched Veers do his utmost to protect his friend from news that was going to be crushing no matter how carefully it was presented. Saw Piett’s eyes grow dead as he remembered what had happened. 

_ I’m so sorry, Admiral. _

He wondered how he would feel if Artoo was destroyed irrevocably. Knew that he would grieve for one of his most faithful friends. 

Was Leia coming? Was his Father? He was reasonably certain he had reached her. And if he had…..

“We need to talk about getting out of here  _ now _ ,” he said. “General, you and the Admiral know the ship better than Han or I. I’m sorry, I wish we could put this off, but we don’t know how much time we have.”

Piett winced and Luke knew it wasn’t from his physical injuries. 

Veers gave him an irritated look, but Luke held his ground. Both their Imperials were compromised at the moment----Piett in his grief, Veers for his friend----and thus, Luke would need to keep them moving forward. 

“I’m fairly certain I reached Leia. Which means that she is most likely coming.” 

The Admiral’s eyes met his and Luke nearly flinched. They were the eyes of a man wondering how much more could be taken from him.

“If she is, then I cannot imagine a scenario where my Father would let her come alone.” He tried to project his confidence to Piett in particular.

“Yeah, I don’t see your old man wanting her to have a shot at these kriffers without him,” Han put in. 

“I…..was able to send a short transmission to your Father,” Piett said hoarsely from his position leaning against the General’s shoulder. All of them took this in. 

“ _ How _ ?” asked the General, clearly impressed with his friend.

“I had my datapad behind my back. I pushed transmit the moment those bastards pointed a blaster at me.”

“So what would my Father know?” Luke pressed. 

“I don’t think I could give him much other than that Executor was clearly compromised. I hope that he might just have got a visual on General Pryde, but I cannot be sure.” 

“Who is this General, anyway?” Han asked.

“My understanding was that he was dead,” Veers put in. “I never met him, just heard over fleet memorandums that he had been killed at Yavin.”

“I have to confess that I had not heard of him until today,” Piett said, and put his hand to his head once more. 

Luke hoped that they could help him with that. He felt sick at the thought of forcibly breaking into someone’s mind. And his concern grew as he watched a trickle of blood make its way from Piett’s nose.

“Admiral,” he said carefully, “you have a nosebleed.”

Piett put his hand up to wipe at it, and Veers looked furious all over again as Piett brought away his hand to stare at his own blood. 

He looked up to meet Luke’s eyes and the young Jedi felt uncomfortable at the wariness there. He understood it----what had happened to Piett would make him….  _ cautious _ around Force users. 

“What…..what should I expect here, commander?” he asked with remarkable calm for someone who had been so brutalized. 

“I wish I knew more, sir,” Luke replied. “It….well. I have never looked into committing something like that. As I told General Veers, I hope that the damage is minimal as my understanding is the….contact was brief. But my Father or Leia are the ones to ask. She has been rather passionate about studying Force healing and my Father…...well. He would know for other reasons.”

And Luke did not like to reflect on those reasons.  _ Had his Father ever broken into someone’s mind like that? _

“I’m sorry, sir, I’m not much help. Just…..tell one of us if it’s getting worse.”

Piett nodded, wiping more blood away on his sleeve, then closed his eyes. Veers shifted to give him more comfortable support.

“So people may be coming,” Piett said. “If you’re wondering whether the General or myself can jury rig a way out of these cells, commander, I’m afraid that’s not our level of expertise.” 

Luke had been wondering if they might know a way. “All right,” he said, “Han?”

“Hey kid, I’m willing to try but, this is where we could use your droid.”

_ Artoo. Artoo was on the ship. _

“Well that is an interesting point. I left him in the hangar bay.”

“You left him unsupervised  _ again _ ?” Piett asked, cracking one eye open to look at him accusingly. 

“He promised to stay with the X-Wing. But if he noticed that the Lady was under attack……”

_ Should he have some hope here? _

“Are you telling me,” ground out Veers, “that we’re pinning our hopes on the possibility that your menace of a droid survived the attack?”

“I didn’t say  _ all _ our hopes,” Luke responded somewhat defensively. “But Artoo has been rather good at getting us out of tough situations before in some spectacular ways.”

“I’m trying to forget one of them,” muttered Piett, without opening his eyes. 

“He got you out of a tough situation?” asked Han, before Luke could say anything.

_ Oh let’s not go here right now.  _

“Put me  _ in _ one, actually…”

“Anyway….” Luke tried.

“Well I think we can all agree Bespin was a right kriff up all around….”

“Solo.” Veers was speaking through very clenched teeth. “I don’t want to hear  _ that word  _ in my presence.”

“I’m just saying….”   
  


“Please….” Piett was looking ill again.

“ _ I’m _ the one that got frozen….”

“Han,” Luke said firmly before Veers could turn his friend to ash just by staring at him murderously. 

“ _ Everyone _ in this room suffered there. And this is not the time to discuss it. The point is, that just possibly, I have a droid who is on the loose. Han I know you have that ‘special’ kit in your boot heel. Can you at least  _ try _ to mess with the energy barrier?”   
  


“I’ll likely just end up electrocuting myself,” the smuggler grumbled.

“What a loss that would be,” muttered Veers.

“Max, it doesn’t help,” said Piett, shifting to look at the General, then turning white once more.

“Admiral?” Luke asked, wishing for the hundredth time he could do something to fix this.

“I…..I just… I think I need to lie down.” And Veers was already there guiding him to his original position against the General’s chest, and leaning back against the wall, before raising his intense gaze to Luke once again. He didn’t need the Force to know what the man was thinking.

_ Get us out of here. Help my friend. _

There was a beat of silence. 

“General,” said Han. And Veers looked at him.

“I apologize.”

“Thank you Solo.” Luke didn’t think he imagined the slight nudge from Piett against Veers’ arm. “I…...apologize as well.”

“No problem. I’ll do my best.”

“Thanks, Han,” Luke said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia and Anakin make their plans. Our resident evil Force user prepares for Skywalkers. And Piett grapples with his grief.

Leia watched her father pilot as they left the Coruscant system. She had flown with Han and Luke many times. Both were skilled and gifted no question. 

But Anakin……

It was unnerving how in tune he was with the ship. He had told her that he was more than usually gifted with mechanical things. It explained a great deal in regard to the Lady. But this was her first time seeing it so closely. He was indeed the best pilot. She would never be able to tell the others lest there were hurt feelings.

Well. She could tell Piett as he had no personal stake in being a space jockey, and they could enjoy the rivalry of the other three…..

And her mood abruptly plunged.

_ Would she be able to tell Piett? Was he alive, or had the codes been ripped from him and his lifeless body, tossed aside…… _

_ Han, eyes wide and unseeing…. _

_ Luke, a lightsaber through his heart…. _

Her Father felt it as he took them into hyperspace. Setting the autopilot he turned to look at her. 

“It will not do for us to dwell on the darker possibilities, Leia.”

“A bit difficult not to!” she snapped at him. 

Her Father showed remarkable restraint with her temper and she felt guilty.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, “I just……”

“My daughter, I am so very aware of what is at stake for you here.”   
  


“You as well,” she replied, rubbing her hands over her face. “And of course the bigger picture of the New Republic which is why I must get myself under control.”

She felt Anakin’s support and love in the Force. 

“Yes,” he agreed. “But I would never make the mistake of telling you that you must rid yourself of all emotion. Channel it instead.”

“Yes, Luke says the same and I do appreciate that. He likes to say that to keep to the light, we need to fight because we love what we defend, not because we hate what we fight.”

Her Father gazed at her curiously. “Did he…..come up with that himself?” he asked in a strange tone.

She smiled slightly. “I think so. If you’re wondering whether it’s an Obi-Wan thing, I don’t know.”

He sighed. “We need to discuss this possible Force user.”

Leia felt cold in the warm shuttle.

“Possible? Do you think it’s actually just ysalamir keeping Luke from us?”

He looked out at the streaking stars. 

“No.”

She agreed.

“I think,” she began, because this was difficult to face on many levels but they must be prepared. “That if they are trying to capture the Lady, they have to have a Force user. It would be the only way I could see to possibly overpower her.”

Anakin turned to look at her again, his eyes full of sorrow, but determination as well. “I agree, my daughter. So then.” He paused as both of them worked on their control.

“If you were to try and take the Lady intact, how would you do it?”

“I would study the ship and gain as much intel as possible,” she responded, having had to think about this already, pacing back and forth in her dark flat like a caged tigress.

“I would need to disable a great deal of her systems, and a scheduled retrofit at Kuat is a perfect time to do so, by bringing in my own techs.”

“We have seen that the outside firepower was in place indeed,” put in Anakin. 

“Yes. And of course…..” she stopped as tears threatened. Anakin took her hand briefly and squeezed it. “I would find out that there are two people who have the codes to reset the Lady’s systems and wipe her AI.”

Two tears rolled down her face. “ _ You _ are virtually impossible to get to, and massively difficult to overpower in your own right. But……”

“Piett is vulnerable,” said her Father compassionately. 

She nodded and wiped her cheeks almost angrily. “And I have some thoughts on  _ that _ , if we all get out of this. But I would….. _ acquire _ the codes from him…..Father.” She clenched her hands so hard, the nails broke the skin.

“The  _ damage _ they could do to his mind, let alone the agony of knowing that the Lady is gone…..”

“Leia. I am sorry to say I know something about how that could work.”

She tried not to let her cold anger at that slap him. He flinched nonetheless. 

“I will not excuse it. But…..if the user is skilled, as I suspect, it will not take long to get those codes. I have to hold onto the hope therefore, that it will cause minimal damage for the Admiral.”

“ _ Minimal…… _ !”

He held up a hand. “I’m trying to give us hope, my daughter, which we must have in this endeavor. I do not minimize his suffering in this---I seek to encourage you to believe that you can heal him. He will need you. Now. What would you do next?”

And she wanted to rage at him for that, but he was right. She took a deep calming breath. 

“I would then disable the Lady. As she is not yet functioning, I would turn my attention to getting her able to both fight and fly because I would expect the New Republic fleet to show up.”

Anakin nodded. “Agreed. So, what do we do then first?”

“We must get aboard undetected.”

“Yes, we’ll practice shielding in a moment. Next?”

“We need to make sure that our people are…..are alive and safe so they cannot be used against us. And if they…..are not….”

“If they are not,” Anakin finished grimly, “we will retake the Lady anyway, though admittedly with more prejudice.”

“But should we try to kill the Force user first without the rest of them noticing? Just the two of us against thousands are not good odds.”

“The Force user is indeed the first priority. And we hope the fleet makes good time to back us up. There is of course a very final solution that we must hold loosely.”

Leia had this idea as well in her darkest thoughts hours before.

“If our people are dead, we will detonate the Lady rather than let them have her.”

Her Father met her gaze. “Are you willing to do that, my daughter? Even if we do not make it off of her?”

“If our people are gone and it is the only way? Yes.”

“Then Leia, I would like to help you practice healing a mind before we turn our attention to shielding.”

“Oh. Oh Father I don’t know…..I have to confess there is much in your mind I don’t want to touch. And if you know how, perhaps  _ you _ should….”

Anakin looked at her seriously. “Leia—  _ I _ know how it is damaged.  _ You _ will be better at healing. And for an injury of this nature, one is best helped by someone who is trusted. Loved.”

She stared at her Father.

She may be at peace with the man. It didn’t mean that she didn’t struggle with memories and trauma. It didn’t mean she wanted to be closer.  _ But for Piett’s sake _ …..

“I will shield you from _ …unpleasantness _ , my daughter.”

She sighed and rolled up her sleeves. “Very well.”

  
  


****

<You are almost done, Blue one, she told him, pleased with his progress.>

[Yes, replied Artoo. It is good that we do not feel weariness as the humans do. This is most challenging work.]

<I feel weariness, Blue one, she said somewhat amused.>

[Do you Lady? Are you weary now? Shall I look for energy to plug into?]

<Thank you Blue one that is kind, she said. She was glad to have this droid friend. That can help to an extent. But….my weariness can also be like the humans. My…. _ feelings _ for lack of a better term, are tired.>

[Ah, said Artoo. Yes that is different from my processes, Lady. There. Are you able to control the engines as you wish now? He felt her process this.]

<Yes, a job well done, Blue one.>

[Naturally. Can we go and rescue our humans now? They will be very impressed with us.]

<Yes, Blue one, but we must proceed carefully. That level will have many enemies and we should try to avoid detection as long as possible. I will guide you there. Once we are close, you must scan for the guards. We can create a loop of surveillance footage for the cells. I assume you can do this?>

[If Artoo could have waved a hand, he would have. He settled for a nonchalant periscope flick. Of course.]

<Then we shall get our humans, commanded the Lady as they entered a lift.>

  
  


****

He waited in Vader’s quarters. He moved around the spartan space, reaching in the Force. A great deal of residual darkness still present here. He touched the desk which now bore holos of people.  _ Holos _ .

He felt disgusted. How could one of the most powerful Sith to ever exist have fallen like this? It was unheard of in history. But then, Vader had  _ defied _ the Jedi even before he came to the Dark Side. 

He had  _ married _ . Further, he had born  _ children _ . Such a thing was unthinkable to the oh so free from attachments, Jedi. 

But it provided an interesting diversion for him at the moment. He studied the smiling holo of the son, currently under his power in detention. It was for this child that Vader had turned on Palpatine. It was this child that had helped to destroy his…..predecessor on the Death Star. His light signature was present even in this room. He curled his lip.

The girl……..ah, that was much more intriguing. The chit looked so like her mother it was truly stunning that neither Palpatine nor Vader had seen it in all the years she worked in the Senate and travelled with Bail Organa. 

But her powers were newly discovered, just as her identity was. He had felt her come fully into her own in the recent events that had transpired on Coruscant. Even several systems away, he felt the surge in the Force with her anger and fear----in that instance on behalf of the traitorous Admiral currently in his power. 

And that would be useful. She was  _ powerful _ and her emotions reminded him of Anakin’s when he was young. She wished to protect. And he held all the right….. _ cards _ to use a crude term, to potentially turn her. Not only did he have her base lover, but her Jedi brother. And interestingly, this Imperial Admiral. He had felt the Admiral’s affection for her as well, as he wrested the codes from his mind. 

He gazed out the viewport reaching in the Force. They would come soon he was sure. Skywalker had called to his twin, and he was sure she had heard him. The question was whether they would join the inevitable efforts of the fleet, or if they would come for their people ahead of that. He felt the answer. He had foreseen it. They would come. And he would reveal himself to Vader right before he killed all whom he loved in front of him. He would grind him into dust. 

And then he would kill him. 

  
  


*****

Piett concentrated on breathing. In and out. Through his nose. It seemed to help his nausea slightly, but opening his eyes was still awful in these bright cells. Across from him he could hear Solo tinkering at the barrier with whatever tools he had pulled from his boot. 

Skywalker was no doubt meditating as he had been doing for a few hours now, attempting to understand why his powers were not working against this…..this Force user. Even now, Piett shuddered at the thought of him. Veers’ arms tightened around him at that, and a wash of gratitude for Max swept through him. 

The General was warm at his back, doing his best to keep Piett as comfortable as possible in their quite terrible circumstances. And the Admiral  _ hated _ feeling so helpless, but his head was throbbing, and he was suppressing his horror at the feeling of intangible icy fingers gripping his brain….

…..and the Lady was dead. 

He felt scooped out and hollow. The knowledge would sweep over him every several minutes, and his body was leaden in his despair. 

_ He should have fought harder _ …..

“Kriff, Firmus you fought like a Loth wolf.”

_ He’d said that aloud then _ . 

“I failed to protect her,” he murmured, and Veers’ grip on him was so tight it was painful. 

“Don’t you  _ dare _ . Never say that. Did I fail, Firmus, when Myra died? When Zev…..?” The General’s voice cracked, and Piett brought up his good hand to grip his friend’s arm.

“No,” he said quietly, not wanting the others to hear. “No, you never did.”

“Neither did  _ you _ . We are going to get out of this, Piett,” Max told him softly, gathering himself, keeping this conversation between them. “We are, and we are going to have your princess help heal what that  _ bastard _ did to you, and then we are going to walk through grieving, and you will not be  _ alone _ , do you understand me?”

Piett nodded slightly, the crushing weight on his heart, eased ever so slightly. “I know, Max. I know I have you all…..I just keep going through it in my head----what I could have done differently….”

A sigh above him. “Yes. I did that too with….with Zev. I’m telling you, Firmus, there was nothing you could have done.  _ Force… _ ..”

And Piett heard the grief in his voice. “I hate being helpless as much as you do. Being forced to watch you in there, not being able to do anything to assist you when he….” Max stopped as Piett shuddered again.

“Sorry,” he whispered, flushing, “I’m sorry, it’s just reaction….I’ll be fine.”

“Firmus.” And the General’s voice was gentle. “Don’t. It’s not fine. We both know it. But it will be.”

Piett wanted to hold onto that, and he was so grateful for Veers’ presence right with him, warm and alive, but she was still……. _ gone _ . The best he could hope for was for them to survive so that he could stand on a bridge that had no soul. He would not get little light flickers or queries about human verbage on his data pad. And how many times could his chest compress like this in his anguish? 

He had survived much tragedy in his life. Why was this feeling so impossible? 

The galaxy had finally given him a family. And he-----he had been foolish enough to believe that it would be permanent. That he could protect it. That it would protect him. 

And in the space of minutes, it was ripped from his hands…..

…..because what if the princess came? Even with her Father, this Force user had stopped the  _ Lady _ , how could they fight him? And if he lost her too…..his dear, brown eyed girl…..

Stop. He mustn’t do this. He knew better. He was an Admiral, damn it. There were thousands of his men on this ship.  _ Veers _ was on this ship---his oldest and dearest friend and brother. And always,  _ always _ in his life, he fought---he kept going. He had walked through the grief of death before, he could do so again. 

He gave a shuddering sigh, and Max tightened his hold once more. “Are you warm enough?” he asked.

“Yes, thanks Max. I’m….I’m just reminding myself of who we are, and what our duty is to our men.”

A silence above him. 

“This,” said Veers at last, and Piett was surprised to hear how unsteady his voice was. “This is why people will die for you, Firmus. I don’t know if I’ll ever get you to understand that, my Admiral friend, but…... _ hells _ . My greatest hope is to spend the rest of my life and career right next to you.”

Well. 

Piett managed a small smile for the first time since the bridge. “Thank you, General. Mutual.”

More silence, broken only by Solo’s work and occasional curses under his breath. And a strangely familiar whirring noise…….

Piett strained his ears. Was he having trouble due to his head?

“Max.”

“Yes?”

“Do you hear a…...a… whirring? Like wheels…?”

“I don’t think so……” Veers sounded concerned, but Piett was sure he heard it. 

“Can you help me sit up? I’m going to try and deal with the light.”   
  


“Firmus….”

“Coddling me won’t help if we’re trying to escape, Veers.” 

“Right, because that’s all that….”

*Bleep.

Piett’s eyes flew open, and he promptly swore in pain at the light. But he tried again, thankful that Max was helping him sit so he could focus on getting his head to operate properly.

“You had to have heard that,” he told the large blur in front of him.

“I heard it,” said Skywalker’s voice across the way, sounding hopeful….

*Blat.

“Son of a Hutt.” This was Solo. 

Piett was shading his eyes and blinking madly to bring things into focus…..

…..which he did just in time to see a small blue astromech trundle down the polished detention corridor, its electric prod out and crackling. 

  
  


****

Han really should always bet on the color blue. He logged that away for the future as he watched Luke’s battered companion swivel his dome as if looking at them all. 

“Artoo! You are amazing!!” Luke told the droid in soft but excited tones. 

The droid bleeped and twittered.

“Ok, well you’re not modest about it in the least. Can you get us out of here? Are there guards?”

*Blat.

“Okay, I suppose that’s why you have your prod out then.”

A pause for burbling and trilling.

“I am not having a conversation about weapons with you right now. Please get us out of here.”

Han watched as the droid trundled further into the cell block to find a portal which he plugged into. 

Veers was still clearly trying to believe what he was seeing. Piett was just trying to  _ see _ around the no doubt agonizing headache. 

Han heard the moment that Artoo got the power, and all of the barriers dropped. 

“Nice work, short stack,” he told the droid which earned him an *approving? burble as Artoo came back toward them. Luke was standing at the barrier as Han came out.

“You waiting for an invitation, kid? Let’s go.”   
  


“I’m…...trying to determine if I can. Nothing for it but to try I guess.” And Luke stepped through….

…..to promptly fall to his hands and knees.

“Luke!” Han was by him instantly. “What is it?”

“I’ll be ok. It’s ok, Han. It was like being punched by a giant fist. It’s a fair bet to say that he knows we’re out. But the good news is I can feel the Force again.”

Han helped him to his feet and looked over to Veers who was shrugging back into his duty jacket and keeping a wary eye on the Admiral, who was leaning heavily against the wall of the cell block for support. 

Artoo trundled over to Piett and bumped him gently on the legs.

“Hey!” Luke told him. “Stop that, it’s rude anyway, and he’s not feeling well.”

The droid blipped and span his dome excitedly. Luke jerked as if hit with a blaster.

“ _ What _ ?”

“What’s wrong, Skywalker?” Piett asked tiredly. 

“Can we find out on the way out of here?” Han asked, feeling tense. “You said they know…”

Artoo gave a high whistle.

“He’s…..saying...Artoo I’m not going to say it. How is that possible?”

“Skywalker,” growled Veers coming to get an arm around his friend once more. “We don’t have time for this.”

But Luke was gazing intently at the droid and carefully reached a hand to rest on top of his dome. He almost immediately jerked back in astonishment. 

“He’s, I don’t believe it, but I  _ felt _ her….he’s saying that he saved the Lady.”

Piett staggered as if shot, and Veers tightened his arm.

“Don’t do that, Skywalker,” the Admiral said, looking on the verge of fainting. “Do not say that if…..”

“That’s not possible,” Veers put in. “She’s a huge consciousness, he couldn’t possibly….”

Artoo let out a loud blat.

“He says she condensed herself, that she knew this was likely.”

“Prove it,” said Piett faintly, putting off the General’s arm and moving carefully to stand in front of the droid. “Prove that it’s not just your own memory banks with recordings of hers…..”

_ The hope in his voice was painful _ . 

And Artoo immediately flicked on his holoprojector.

Han squinted at the blinding light that he was displaying. “What is that, Artoo?” he asked, confused.

But when he looked over at their two Imperials, both had looks of stunned recognition before…. 

…..a mechanical voice played over Artoo’s speaker.  _ Admiral on board, the ship is functioning optimally. _

Piett went to his knees with a sob.

Veers had his hand on his friend’s shoulder, and Artoo actually extended one of his computer interface arms to rest on the Admiral’s other shoulder. 

Artoo was showing…. _ comfort _ ?

Han gaped at Luke. 

“What am I looking at here?” he asked again, and Veers answered in gravelly tones.

“ _ That _ is the Lady’s plasma core, General Solo. Your droid couldn’t possibly know what that means…..” he broke off, and tightened his grip on Piett’s shoulder as the Admiral made a mighty effort and brought back his composure.

“It means, Solo,” Piett said, looking drained, but his eyes alive once more, the steel will that Han had seen in the man many times, very present, “That my Lady outsmarted that bastard, and we are going to get my ship back.”

Han grinned. “I like that plan, sir.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope at last!!! ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia and Anakin are on the ship! Piett has a plan and the Evil goes to find Anakin....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Fourth everyone! I'm posting a bit earlier today because it will be busy!! 
> 
> I'm happily ensconced in making the blackberry/lemonade pie and the peach bourbon upside down cake. Hope you all have a delicious Independence day as well. :)

<Her Admiral was not well, but he believed the Blue one. His joy and relief were evident, and he placed a hand on the Blue one’s dome.>

“Thank you,” he said, voice hoarse.

[I have impressed your Admiral, the Blue one said smugly.]

<Yes, she replied softly, watching the Loyal one help her Admiral stand, and the Lady was desirous again to really  _ talk _ to him. To be able to ease the lines of strain on his face and reassure him. But, she reflected more positively, the Dear one could help there.>

[Where shall we take our humans? The Blue one asked cheerfully. He was clearly quite buoyed from electrocuting the guards.]

<They need weapons to defend themselves, she replied showing him a route. This is usually the way with the least humans. But we will need you to be very alert with your sensors, Blue one.>

[I will lead the way, the Blue one told Luke Skywalker and proceeded to zip back down the corridors.]

“To where Artoo? You can’t just…..”

[The Lady says you need weapons, the Blue one told him as the other humans followed. She has shown me the best way.]

“What’s he saying, Skywalker?” <That was the Loyal one. >

<There really were times, the Lady reflected, that she wished the humans were skilled enough to speak binary more effectively.>

“He’s saying the Lady showed him the best route to weapons storage.”

“Well,” said her Admiral, smiling at the ceiling before recalling she wasn’t there at the moment, and switching his gaze to the Blue one. “You certainly have the right priorities, Lady. Lead on.”

<Blue one, the Lady said as they moved out of detention cautiously, the droid in the lead. I wish you to do routine biometric scans of my Admiral every hour.>

[I can do that, Lady. What am I looking for?]

<Changes in blood pressure, breathing, physical signs of distress. The Evil did damage. She felt rage, and the Blue one shook slightly as she flooded their circuits with her feeling.>

[Lady, I cannot contain that level of your reaction, he told her.]

<I apologize, Blue one, you are correct. I will not distract you. Lead the humans and focus on scanning for enemies.>

<It was very strange to look only through the limited viewport of the Blue one after having 19 kilometers of herself to view all things aboard. It was difficult to be so dependent on his small scanners and tiny wheels as they progressed through her corridors, ducking into small rooms or alcoves as the Blue one sensed enemies. It was a matter of time before they realized that the humans had been released. Luke Skywalker had said the Evil would know. She trusted he was doing what he could about that.>

[Uh oh. Said the Blue one]

“What is it Artoo?”

<She had felt it too.>

[They know, said the Blue one.]

***

“ _ Now _ ,” said Anakin and Leia focused with all her might, joining with her Father to shield their presence as they snapped into real space around Kuat. 

Before them stretched the vast shipyards, and around them were at least one hundred Star Destroyers. In the midst of this vast metal jungle, hung the Lady, lights dark, and Leia fought for her control at the implications of that. 

She noted too, various fragments of what had once been the Avenger and the cruisers, but she couldn’t mourn now. 

“Father?” she asked softly.

“Successful so far,” he told her, very carefully nudging the TIE. They were allowing themselves to drift into the fleet with Anakin’s skilled touch to the controls, easing them around the vast ships and ever closer to Executor.

“Are her shields down?” Leia asked. It was the crucial question.

“Yes,” he answered immediately. There was a pause as this had both good and bad implications. Good because it would allow them to get within range of Anakin’s hangar bay and he could use the Force to open the atmosphere barrier. 

Bad…….because it meant that the Lady had been taken in the manner they had feared. 

“Hold onto your control, my daughter,” he cautioned as she thought this. “We will grieve for the Lady. Let us focus on not having to do so for the others.”

Leia nodded and gripped her lightsaber, running her fingers over its now familiar handle, running through her katas in her head, pretending she could hear Luke’s voice calmly guiding her through…..

They were in the shadow of the Lady now---and they should have been bathed in her welcoming glow, but all was dark and silent. Closer…..

…..and she felt her Father use the Force to open the bay and started a clock in her head. Because they had just declared to the mystery Force user that they had arrived. They continued to shield from everyone else, and the ship dropped carefully to the hangar floor. There were few guards here, most of them being concentrated in the crucial areas of the ship.

“Leia, remember, we must put off using the Force as much as possible until it becomes necessary. We don’t want to make it easier than it needs to be for this bastard.”

She nodded, pulling her blaster and clipping her lightsaber to her belt. She was ready.

No doubt the sudden appearance of a TIE fighter in the hangar when there had been empty space before was quite the nasty shock for the guards. They had barely brought their weapons to bear when Leia and Anakin fired and took them down, then sprinted for the large entryway to the rest of the ship…..

…...when roughly 25 more troopers came running toward them.

“Go!” Anakin shouted to her, firing rapidly. “Go find them! I’ll join you when I take care of this!!”

“You can’t…!” she began.

“Go now, Leia.”

And she growled, frustrated, but obeyed, running and firing, to reach the corridors that she knew well by this time. She flung herself into a turbolift, pressing the button for the level right below detention. As it began to move she ignited her lightsaber and cut a hole into the ceiling. The metal was barely cool before she was pulling herself through to the roof, and holding on firmly as the lift sped up. When it stopped, she gathered herself and leapt across to cling to the maintenance ladder in the shaft and began to climb toward the last deck. If anyone was tracking her, that should give her some time. 

She paused to catch her breath and leaned out to peek through the slats of an air vent. That was detention and the desk before her was…..unoccupied? That seemed odd when they had prisoners to watch. 

She looked to the turbolift doors, and gauged the distance between the rung she was perched on and the lip at the bottom of the doors. 

The drop below her really didn’t bear thinking about. She tightened her muscles and launched, grasping the lip of the entryway firmly. This was one of those moments she was grateful to be small. She got her leg up onto the ledge as well and then cautiously pulled herself all the way, balancing precariously on the four inches of overhang as she began to pry the doors slowly apart, just enough for her to slip through to the corridor on the other side. 

She didn’t allow herself to sag in relief at being on firm decking, but moved to the security desk in front of detention and ducked behind it…..

….finding a fallen guard lying there already. She stared and checked his pulse. It was there. She examined him more closely

_ What had happened? _

There were scorch marks on his uniform----had he been  _ electrocuted _ ?

She waited listening for any footsteps, then drew her blaster and palmed the doors to the cell blocks. She took a stance inside only to find….more bodies of troopers this time. 

_ Had her people managed to escape then? _

She peered cautiously down the cell block and felt a faint residual presence…..Luke had been here. She felt it in the Force. 

_ But how in the galaxies had they escaped? And where were they now? _

She stared at the fallen troopers and got an idea. 

A moment later, someone who was a little short for a stormtrooper exited the detention area. She waited, stretching to feel Luke’s presence. That way. 

And she moved down the corridor. 

  
  


****

“They’re definitely looking for us,” Luke whispered to the rest of them. They had taken refuge in an office two corridors from the weapons storage. “This makes things a lot harder.”

“You were expecting easy?” Han asked.

Luke gave him a look. Artoo was rolling around, his scanner out. The young Jedi noted Piett watching him, clearly still trying to process how his Lady was contained in that small frame. The office was dim and featureless, but there were no windows to worry about on the corridor side. There was one small one that overlooked a training bay for the army on the other wall. 

“We need some weapons to have any shot at this,” Veers stated in a low voice, rummaging in desk drawers for…..something.

“We need to determine what ‘this’  _ is _ ,” clarified Piett. “Priorities need to be established.”

Veers looked at him. “All right Admiral, you clearly have some in mind. Give us some orders.” He came over to Piett holding space tape and two short pieces of flat metal he’d removed from the drawer. He tapped his friend’s left arm and Piett extended it to him. 

Ah. Luke understood. Field dressing. Veers felt carefully along the injured wrist, pausing at Piett’s wince, and placing the makeshift splint along the bone.

Piett gave him a small smile, and looked around at the others. “The General is right, we need weapons. Then the next priority is getting the Lady back to herself. Skywalker, I can work on that, but I’ll obviously need the astromech and we’ll need to be in central processing to do it. The thing is, it will be intricate and we can’t afford interruptions or damage to the consoles.”

Luke could anticipate where he was going with this.

“You think we should split up.”

Piett nodded. “Distract them from those efforts. We have to have the Lady operating optimally if we have any hope in hell of pulling this off. Not only for me, and a potential battle, but for your Father and, possibly, your sister, to be able to talk to her.”

“Sir,” Luke told him, “there’s no  _ possibly _ . My sister will be here because, in case you haven’t noticed, she loves us, and you’ve seen what she does when people threaten what she loves.”

Piett did the pleased little quirk of the mouth he got when he was reminded that he was part of a family.

Which he very much was, Luke thought, reflecting for the thousandth time on the way his life had gone. Here he was, a Tatooine farm boy turned Jedi Knight, who had fought for the Rebellion only to discover that the scourge of the galaxy was his Father. Flash forward to find out he had a twin sister and his Father wanted to overthrow the Emperor….and then they were allied with Death Squadron which was ludicrous on so many levels, and his sister had decided to adopt this steadfast Admiral of his Father’s, and Luke regularly met up with top Imperial brass for drinks and now.….here they all were in an office trying to figure out how to get the Executor back. 

He smiled back at Piett.

“Right, well, regardless, the Lady needs to be reinstalled. We need a distraction elsewhere,” Piett said. 

“Hey, if you need distractions, I’m your man,” Han declared, grinning at them. 

Luke rolled his eyes. 

_ True and disturbing at the same time. _

“Leaving that for the moment, let’s assume you successfully get the Lady back. Then what, Admiral?” 

“Then I need to be on the bridge, because we’re all hoping the fleet is heading our way, and clearly, they’ve overpowered Avenger as well as Rebellion and Liberator.”

Veers snorted quietly at the names, but didn’t say anything, continuing to wind tape around the metal splints. 

“Which implies that our enemies brought a fleet,” finished Piett. 

“So where should we stage a distraction?” Luke asked.

“Why does it have to be one spot?” Han put in. 

They all looked at the Corellian consideringly, and Veers got a slow smile on his face. 

“Mm. Indeed, keep them running around. I like your thinking Solo.”

“I mean…..” Han continued shooting a dubious look at Piett, “we’ll have to cause some damage…..”

The Admiral closed his eyes and sighed. 

“But we’re already in the repair yards, so that’s convenient!” Han finished brightly. 

Luke smiled. 

“All right then. Teams. I think I should protect Artoo and the Admiral….”

“Not yours, Skywalker, I’m not negotiating that,” said Veers firmly, and Piett gave him a look, as Veers finished splinting his wrist.

_ Luke understood the potency of the General’s feelings---could sense the desire to cause devastation for those who had a part in hurting Piett, but….. _

“Look, General, I appreciate that he’s your friend, but I’m rather more equipped….”

Luke was a little taken aback at the intensity of that grey gaze. 

“Commander, you’ve already told us you’re a Force magnet. If you think I want you to bring that bastard anywhere close to the Admiral, you’re insane. I will be more than capable of defending the area while he works with your astromech. You can employ all your tricks helping Solo wreak havoc on the ship.”

A slightly strangled sound from Piett. 

“Sorry, Firmus.”

There was a pause. Luke sighed. 

He understood it. A glance at the Admiral’s pale face told him that he should let this happen, even if he felt more equipped to defend such a crucial task.

“If you’re sure, General.”

“I’m sure, Commander.”

“Admiral, will you be able to do what you need with that wrist…..?”   
  


Piett gave him one of his most intimidating Fleet Admiral looks.

_ He really needed to remember that this was, after all, Vader’s Admiral.  _

“Then let’s get some weapons.”

Luke moved to the door of the darkened office, just as it hissed open to reveal an armed stormtrooper.

_ Well, kriff. _

  
  


****

He was here. Oh, it had been a brief touch in the Force, but he felt the moment that Vader reached for the controls in the hangar bay.

His presence was swiftly shielded once more, but he knew. He smiled to himself. Good. He would leave the son to his futile attempts to escape. General Pryde would be more than capable of dealing with young Skywalker for the moment---especially as the Jedi had others to protect. 

The question became, had he brought his daughter? He had not felt her presence, but could not envision a scenario where she  _ didn’t _ come. He had every one of the men she valued most in the galaxy---he was certain she was here. 

And already able to shield herself very effectively then. Impressive for one so new to her Force abilities. From what he recalled feeling of her emotions those months ago, her rage was much like her Father’s. Perhaps she would be worth turning…..an apprentice would be the appropriate thing. 

If he killed them all, he was confident he would have her. Oh certainly she would hate him. But her fall would be spectacular in her wrath and then, where else would she turn? 

He would save Vader for last---allow him to see the fall of his daughter and the slaughter of the others before he killed him. 

He switched on his comm.

“General Pryde.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Report on the escaped prisoners.”

_ A well concealed breath of fear on the other end. He needn’t be worried. He didn’t waste his resources as Vader had.  _

“My Lord we are narrowing our search….”   
  


“You do not know their location.”

A small cough. “No my Lord and their escape is deeply puzzling….”   
  


“Skywalker is a Jedi, he may have figured out a way around my barrier, but it is of no consequence. Send men to the bridge and to the weapons storage. And double your guards in the engine rooms.”

“It shall be as you, say, my Lord.”

He moved to the corridor, and drew his lightsaber. He had Jedi to hunt.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a mission now and we're about to do a LOT of explosions. And blasters. And lightsabers. Um, basically the next few chapters are a bit of a ride. 
> 
> Yippee Ki Yay ;)

Anakin flipped backwards and up to the catwalk about the bay, swinging his lightsaber in a wide swathe. It was difficult fighting  _ and _ maintaining his shielding against the Force user. He needed to rejoin his daughter. 

This urgency was translated to the Force as he flung out a hand, and the men below firing at him, were flung across the bay to smack into his TIE.

He hoped his ship was all right.

He turned and made for the turbo lift closest to him, flinging himself inside and punching a button to the engineering deck. Leading them to detention wouldn’t help anyone right now if Leia was trying to free them. He would give them a merry chase around the ship and then try to find her and Luke (he hoped). 

And this moment gave him a chance, even though he knew his hope was foundless……

<Lady?>

Nothing. 

Anakin bowed his head. He had reached briefly for her presence in that moment that he had flicked the atmospheric barrier and not felt anything then. This was confirmation. They had taken the codes from Piett. 

_ Oh Force, please let him be alive. _

It was hard enough for him to envision what had happened to his Admiral ( _ his friend), _ but he did not like to think about what it would do for Leia……..

_ His Lady was dead.  _

One thing at a time. 

He reached the main level for the engine room and waited cautiously, pressed against the wall of the lift as the doors slid open. 

No one shouted in alarm, so Anakin slipped out and kept to the shadows. Major work had been done here, that he could see, but the Lady’s engines weren’t ready to fly yet. He crept along toward a ladder and ascended to a catwalk that spanned 3 decks. He wanted to reach with the Force, but wasn’t sure he had the resources at the moment. Reserving his strength there, he used his regular senses as he approached the doors to the corridor, and from there, to the rest of the ship. He risked it and moved out of the engine room. On these levels were numerous crew quarters for the galley staff, the technicians, and the junior engineers. On the port side, if he recalled correctly there were vast storage areas for spare parts and maintenance of the ship. 

He ducked around another turn. It had been too long. Where was his daughter? He decided to risk contacting her.

“Leia,” he hissed into his comlink. 

Nothing.

Still, that could just mean that she was not in a tactical position to answer. He needed to know if their people were both alive and safe before he reached for this Force user. No sense in giving him any unnecessary advantages. 

Anakin wanted to be right on top of the bastard before he knew he was there. 

All right then, he would move in the direction he thought Leia would most likely take if she were to have freed their people. 

Weapons. 

He managed to make it up two more decks before his luck ran out. Two squadrons of troopers were waiting at the end of the corridor he had just turned down. 

_ Kriffing brilliant. _

Anakin took a step and ignited his blade with a cool snap/hiss.

“All right then,” he said. And they opened fire. 

****

He had no weapons. He hated that he had nothing, and after everything, after getting this close, they had already been discovered by Stormtroopers. 

_ Damn it to nine hells.  _

The stormtrooper shoved Skywalker in the chest to make him back up and the door hissed behind him. 

_ One stormtrooper? _

Piett gathered himself, next to Veers, both ready to take the man down, when he reached for his helmet and everyone in the small, dim room paused as he took it off…..

“I’m your sister, and I’m here to rescue you,” his princess said, brown eyes dancing with joy as she tossed the helmet aside, and grabbed her brother in a fierce hug. 

“Leia!! Leia! Is Father here too then?” Skywalker asked, grasping her tightly, then pulling back to search her face.

“Yes,” she said darkly, but smiled again as Solo strode into their space and kissed her passionately.

_ Corellians, honestly.  _

Even Veers raised his eyebrows. 

“He was fighting off a whole battalion last I saw him,” she shot over her shoulder to the Jedi, disentangling from Solo to reach for Max and…. _ hugging _ him? 

Veers patted her back awkwardly, and Piett grinned at him. 

“Are all of you all right?” she asked, coming to him, and she was in his arms at last, his darling girl…...who was also terribly reckless……

“You took a horrible risk, my dear,” he told her as she pulled back to look into his eyes searchingly, and clearly not liking what she saw there. 

“Admiral dear…..” she reached a hand toward his face….

…. _ hands reaching for his head, agonizing pain in his mind _ …

….and he couldn’t help the tiniest flinch, cursing himself for it as her hand froze, and grief flashed through her eyes, but she looked at him with understanding. 

“I will try to help you with that,” she told him, embracing him tightly once more, and stepping back. Then she frowned and looked around the room.

“Luke…..” she said. “I…..I’m feeling a presence….” and her eyes narrowed as she found the astromech. 

Could she feel that? She had a more…. _ special _ connection to the Lady true. She moved to the blue droid and placed her hand on his dome as he tweeted and whistled something to her. 

Her eyes got impossibly huge. “Amazing,” she breathed, but turned to look right at him with infectious joy. 

“I’m so glad,” she said, “and so relieved…..well. This changes some of our plans then and for the better. We feared the worst…..”

“It was bad enough,” said Veers gruffly, close at his shoulder. He shot the General a look---they didn’t have time to coddle his injuries at the moment. 

Nothing got by the princess however. 

“I can imagine,” she said softly, then tilted her head as though…. _ listening _ , and her eyes grew dark with something rather terrifying. 

_ What was the Lady telling her? _

“Leia,” Skywalker said in warning tones, and Piett could guess what she was feeling, knowing her as he did now.

“We must deal with one thing at a time, my dear,” he told her. “What was the plan with your Father?”

She glanced at Veers who gave her a slight nod, and she seemed to make a decision. 

_ His princess and Max. A lethal combination, but it also bolstered him to know they had his back.  _

“The first step was to determine if you all were alive as that would ah…...affect our next steps.”

“Here we are then, Sweetheart,” Solo said grinning at her. “Now what?”

“Well…….we had operated on the assumption that we would retake the ship, but clearly with the Lady in play, priorities are a bit different…..”

“Indeed,” Piett interjected. “As you can imagine, we have discussed this. I and the astromech will get the Lady back to herself. General Veers will be with us. In order to distract from our efforts, Commander Skywalker and General Solo will….”

“....wreak chaos and destruction,” finished an unrepentant Solo.

_ It’s my ship, you damn reckless Corellian. _

“Where’s your lightsaber, Luke?” the princess asked suddenly and her brother sighed.

“I assume with our mystery Force user and that concerns me because he’ll be looking for us, as in Skywalkers….” 

And suddenly, both Skywalkers reeled as though a strong wind had struck them.

“Leia!” Solo said at the same time as Piett called out,

“Princess?”

“Father,” Luke breathed. “He’s going after Father.”

“So much for shielding anymore,” the princess agreed. She began to remove the rest of the stormtrooper armor, and Piett had a knot in his stomach as he realized what she intended to do.

“Princess….” 

_ What could he say? It was her Father. Her brother didn’t have his Jedi weapon. But this bastard Force user was so powerful….. _

She could sense his feelings, he knew from the way her eyes were soft as she looked at him. 

He swallowed, controlling the surging waves of fear. “Be safe,” he told her simply. 

She moved to him swiftly to kiss his cheek and get her arms around his neck. “And you, dearest Admiral.”

She embraced her smuggler as well, and swept the room with her gaze. “I’ll see you soon.” And she was out the door, already running. 

  
  


****

They were all here. They were all  _ alive _ .

She felt slightly weak in the knees in her relief. Her brother was laughing as he embraced her and then Han,  _ oh Han _ , how she had missed him. She could do almost anything when her smuggler was around. 

Artoo was madly wanting to tell her something, but she didn’t speak binary like Luke did and besides, she had two more to greet and assure herself that they were real. The General didn’t quite know what to do with an embrace from her, but he was clearly pleased to see her, though his overall mood was very dark and concerned for…..

…...the Admiral, her dear Admiral, who did indeed look strained and white, but also tremendously happy to see her.

She could feel that all was not right ---his swiftly suppressed flinch broke her heart----but she vowed to heal that, after she killed the bastard that did it.

But then…..

<Dear one?>

<How? Leia asked her in disbelief, placing a hand on Artoo. How is this possible?>

<The Blue one and I made a plan, Dear one. When the  _ Evil-- _ and if she was human she would have spat that---stopped me, and I knew I could not save my Admiral that way, I condensed myself. It cannot last, but the Blue one and my Admiral will help restore me.>

Leia was so grateful that Piett did not have to bear the added pain of the Lady’s demise.

“It was bad enough,” Veers told her, and she could read murder in his cold grey eyes.

<Dear one, said the Lady in a tone that matched the General’s look, I know that the Dark one has said not to kill indiscriminately, but this Evil….he….and she showed Leia what she had witnessed as Piett fought to save her.>

Leia was carved of ice. Something dark and raging was in her soul. She wanted to  _ destroy. _ Her Admiral….  _ flung to the floor, still trying to fight _ …...

The Dark side sang to her of blood and death and she wanted to listen.

“Leia,” Luke said in a tone that brooked no argument. 

_ You cannot. Sister of mine. Think about this. Yes, it was horrific, but you cannot help him if you seek revenge rather than healing.  _

“We must deal with one thing at a time, my dear,” Piett told her, as though he sensed her mood himself.  _ Perhaps he did on some level. _ He looked at her with understanding, but he was also her Admiral and he knew they had bigger things to do.  _ How she loved him _ . “What was the plan with your Father?”

She caught Veers’ eyes.  _ He would not hesitate to pull a trigger on the bastard, she knew this. _ He gave her a nod, his resolve screaming to her in the Force. 

_ Piett would not be harmed again unless the General was dead. _

They made their plans and she was ready to go with Han and Luke, when….

_ I will destroy you. _

She and her twin looked at each other. 

“Father.” And she knew her duty in that moment. 

_ We’ll get to weapons, you get to Father. And Leia….I’d like my lightsaber back. _

_ Do what you need to to keep the others safe. I’ll get it to you. _

<Dear one. You must destroy the Evil. My Admiral will help me, and then you must help my Admiral.>

<Is this your way of telling me to come back safely, Lady? Leia thought, amused.>

<That is an acceptable interpretation.>

And Leia was running for her Father’s force signature, now open and unshielded..... along with something dark and foul. 

  
  


****

[I know the way to weapons, Artoo told Luke Skywalker.  _ I  _ would like a weapon.]

“You are not getting a weapon,” Luke said, as they moved swiftly down the corridor after Artoo.

[It would be useful to me and others for me to have a weapon, Artoo pointed out, with a quick swivel of his dome.]

“It would be useful to us if you paid attention to where you’re going,” responded the Jedi.

[Artoo rebounded off of the corner at the junction of the corridors, but he was fine.]

<Blue one….said the Lady slightly reprovingly.>

[It is normal, he told her. I sense enemies, Lady]

[Enemies! He told Luke Skywalker]

The commander held up a hand. “There’s a lot of men guarding the depot.”

“How much is a lot?” asked the General.

“About fifty.”

[You have removed fifty before, Luke Skywalker, Artoo encouraged. He really was an encourager. He had to be, with Threepio around.]

“Kid?” asked Han Solo.

<Tell the Jedi that if he can move the men, you and I can open the doors fast enough for us to get inside, and then shut them again.>

[The Lady says if you can remove the men temporarily, she and I can save you again.]

“We need to have a conversation about hubris, Artoo. But all right.”

“What’s the plan, Skywalker?” General Veers asked softly. 

“I throw these guys and we run like hell for the entrance. Artoo says he and the Lady can open it fast enough.”

“And after that?” Admiral Piett asked, placing a hand on the bulkhead to steady himself.

[Artoo began a biometric scan.]

“We blast our way out, right kid?” Han Solo asked.

“Crude but, yes, basically.”

[Lady, your Admiral. HIs adrenaline levels are starting to decrease. Blood pressure is also low, though not critical.]

<She sighed. Thank you Blue one. Keep me advised. We will need to tell Luke Skywalker if it gets much lower.>

“Ready Artoo?” Luke asked.

[I am always ready, Artoo responded.  _ Obviously _ .]

And Luke Skywalker walked around the corner and flung out his hand.

  
  


***

Veers was still impressed by some of these Force displays. He didn’t have a great deal of time to ponder this, as they were all sprinting for the entrance to weapons storage, but a part of his brain acknowledged it was awfully useful to have a Jedi on your side. None of the Sith strangling side effects either. 

The little blue astromech was plugged into a portal, spinning his arm…..

_ ….this better work or we’re all very dead... _

….and the doors hissed open just as they reached them to fling themselves inside. They hissed shut almost on Solo’s boot heels and the droid was rolling over to an internal portal.

He beeped and twittered at Skywalker.

“Artoo says he’s jammed it, but we should still hurry,” the commander said, and Piett was already keying in codes to the storage lockers. Veers moved to the set of lockers containing the detonators while Piett began handing out blaster rifles. 

“Here Solo,” Veers said, handing him a duffel, “you’ll need this. I would imagine the magnetic detonators will be the most useful to you and Skywalker. And I can’t believe I’m saying that to you.

  
  
The ex-smuggler met his eyes as he took the bag and gave him a half smile.

“I was kind of thinking the same thing, sir. Any flash detonators?”

Veers opened another locker, then moved to the Admiral’s side, ostensibly to get a blaster.

“How are you, Firmus?”

Piett was in the process of strapping a blaster to his hip. He glanced up at Veers.

“All right for now, Max,” he returned, grasping a blaster rifled to hand to his friend and getting another for himself, which he slung over his back. “I’m reasonably sure there’s emergency kits in here with stim shots though. Could you find one?”

Veers didn’t like it----the shot would allow the Admiral to push far beyond his normal limits, which really wasn’t a good thing right now. 

“Piett….”

“Max we don’t have the time, and I don’t have the energy to argue about it. Please…”

And Veers watched, dread pooling in his stomach as Piett’s nose began to bleed again. 

“Firmus, your nose…”

“Damn it!” Piett brought his sleeve up to staunch the flow. His uniform was really taking a beating. 

_ Please let the princess and Henley between them be able to help his friend.  _   
  


Veers went to find the field kits and returned. He snagged a small wad of bandage, and handed it wordlessly to his friend who pressed it to the bleed while the General found the stim shots. 

“One now?” he asked, looking to the Admiral. He could hear Solo filling the duffel with explosives. Skywalker had a backpack, also filled with explosives, and he could tell the young Jedi was missing his weapon of choice---he did not look comfortable with the blaster.

Piett nodded and extended the splinted arm. Veers sighed and punched it home. 

“Hand me a couple more would you?” Piett asked, taking the bandage away to look at it and see if he was having any success. The flow seemed to be slowing down. 

“No!” 

Solo and Skywalker looked over and Veers lowered his voice.

“ _ No _ , Firmus. Giving you one is risky enough in your condition. I won’t….”

Piett looked at him with that steel resolve in his hazel eyes. “Max. I wasn’t asking. It’s going to be necessary. I know it and so do you. They won’t kill me.”

  
  
“You don’t know that!”

“Would you like me to pass out in the middle of taking the bridge?”

_ I hate it when you’re right about things like this, my stubborn friend. _

Veers slapped two more syringes into Piett’s waiting hand, and he pocketed them in his trousers. Veers grabbed another blaster rifle to sling over his back. 

“Max.”

He glanced at Piett who was looking apologetic and he felt guilty. This horrible situation was in no way Piett’s fault--the Admiral was making pragmatic choices, and he himself would have done the same if the situation was reversed.

“No, I’m sorry Firmus, I just…”

“I know. And I really appreciate it.” Piett even managed a smile for him. 

The astromech was whizzing and burbling again.

“Artoo says we need to go now. More men are on the way,” said Skywalker.

The four men met in the middle of the room.

“We’re all clear on our jobs?” Piett asked, the mantle of command settling on him once more.

“Keep them away from you. Once the Lady is restored, get to the bridge,” said Solo succinctly. 

“Thank you all. Good luck!”

As they moved to the doors, Solo placed a hand on Veers’ arm.

“General….”

Veers paused to look at the unusually solemn Corellian. 

“I realize I don’t need to tell you to watch his back. But I’ll just say that you  _ both _ need to make it. You’re her people. I hope you know that.”

Veers nodded, appreciating the sentiment.

“Enjoy your havoc, Solo.”

And the doors opened.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle on all fronts: Han and Luke do damage, Artoo leads the way, and Leia and Anakin see the mask removed.

Han and Luke went out together and he vaguely realized that reinforcements had indeed come in massive numbers, but he was already flinging detonators, and Luke used the Force to send some much further down the corridor. 

The resultant explosions managed to shake the area, then he and Luke were laying down cover fire, and Han kept half an eye out on Veers as he shepherded their small group the opposite way. Han made sure they had made it to a turbolift before joining Luke to begin the chase around the Executor. 

“Luke!” he called, palming the detonators he wanted out of the duffel over his shoulder, “Flash detonators!” He turned slightly and pitched them down the corridor behind them. He made sure to face forward again as they went off. 

Ahead of him, Luke’s Jedi skills were on full display as he leapt and ran, placing magnetic detonators on the bulkheads and ceilings of the ship. 

Han sprinted to catch up with him and get out of blast range, both of them diving for a turbolift as they went off.

_ Sorry, Admiral. _

“Any idea where to from here, kid?” Han panted as the lift moved down.

“Not really,” Luke replied, getting that Force look in his eyes. “They’re coming after us for the most part. Good. I think Veers is still going to have his hands full……”

“Luke,” Han admonished. “We’ve seen the man in action. I know Artoo is there and yeah, the Admiral’s not doing so hot, but have some faith. You did the same thing for me facing Jabba by yourself.”

His friend sighed. “I know….and..” He stopped abruptly.

“What is it?” Han asked, rather tired of the way his stomach had been lurching today. 

“Leia and Father. They’re battling the Force user….”

“And?” the smuggler prompted, gripping his blaster tightly. 

“Well, for now, I can’t do anything without my lightsaber.  _ Kriff _ !” the young Jedi exclaimed. “I’m being pulled in so many directions.”

Han knew the feeling. 

“Look kid, all our people, we have to trust they can do their jobs. And they need us to do ours. You know that. What’s this deck?”

“Galleys?”

“Our floor then,” said Han grinning with an idea. 

“I know that look. You looked like that on Endor.”

“Hey,” Han spread his arms as the doors opened, “it’s me.”

  
  


****

Veers allowed the small blue droid to whizz along ahead of them. Piett was keeping a good pace---the stim shot doing its job----but Veers hated knowing the consequences it would have. 

_ Kriff, focus, Veers. The mission. Piett won’t thank you for mother henning. That could come later…..he hoped.  _

The droid paused and gave a light twitter, before abruptly turning down a corridor. Piett looked puzzled, but the droid gave a most demanding *blat, and the Admiral followed, Veers joining him.

“What…..?” he began but then they too heard the footsteps and pressed themselves back against the wall as numerous enemy troopers ran by.

_ Please give them a break on this one.  _

They waited for some time after the booted feet had died away. Hopefully this meant that Solo and Skywalker were successfully diverting resources, and Veers peered around the corner.

“We’re clear,” he whispered and the droid zipped by him, and he could swear it was feeling quite satisfied with itself. 

_ Was he really starting to learn a droid’s moods? How was this his life? _ _   
  
_

They were reaching more familiar corridors now. The droid slowed at the final junction before reaching the entryway to central processing. And the last time they had been here…..

Piett’s jaw was tight, and he had a white knuckled grip on the blaster rifle in his hands as they paused. Veers got a hand on his shoulder, and the Admiral glanced at him swiftly. 

_ I’m here. We’re going to fix this, Firmus. _

Piett gave a little nod and Veers saw the resolve in his eyes. 

“What’s our best approach?” The Admiral asked softly. 

Veers opened his mouth and then the  _ kriffing _ astromech was trundling out to the corridor and in full view of the guards at central processing. 

“ _ Damn _ it!” Veers hissed as they heard it chirping loudly, and the confused discussion happening among the troopers.

“Well, he is distracting them….” Piett breathed, raising an eyebrow at him.

_ And this felt too much like something Solo would do, but there was nothing for it now. _

“I’ll go low, you go high,” his friend said, and then he ducked around the corner and took a knee, Veers following closely, rifle already on his shoulder.

It was over in minutes.

“Well then. They weren’t expecting an attack here,” Veers commented as they moved past the fallen guards. There were only about ten.

“Why would they? They thought they killed her,” Piett said tersely as the little droid whirred his arm and the doors moved smoothly open. Veers watched Piett’s shoulders draw back as he straightened his spine in his characteristic way---ready to face the place of his greatest torment and grief, and Veers suddenly wished to be right next to the princess in the moment, preferably gutting the Force user. 

The astromech was already inside chirping at them. Once Veers had cleared the threshold, it inserted its arm in the portal and apparently secured the doors. 

“How much time do you think we have?” Veers asked, slinging the rifle strap over his shoulder once more, and placing a hand on his friend’s back as he faced the dark consoles.

_ I’m here. It’s not the same as before. Your Lady is here.  _

Piett shuddered slightly. 

“Well, not much, but I think we can do it,” he returned, setting his own rifle against the first console and typing something in. 

“All right, R2 is it? You plug in here first….”

The droid was already moving and seemed to know where to insert his little arm. Piett raised his eyebrows at Veers as the astromech twittered something at him quite vehemently.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m being told that he already knows. Which, given that the Lady is there, I suppose makes a weird sort of sense?”

Veers grinned at him. 

“We signed on to work with Skywalkers, Firmus. I’m slowly learning that we have a new rulebook now.”

Piett snorted, fingers flying as he and the droid worked on the first console. Something beeped and the lights at the top turned green.

“One down, five to go,” the Admiral said, moving to the next one, along with the droid. 

The astromech turned its dome to look back at Veers and gave some sort of inquiring whistle.

“Is he asking me something?” Veers said coming closer.

“No idea, Max, I took really rudimentary binary and forgot most of it,” Piett replied, not looking up from his work.

The droid made the sound again and swivelled its camera ‘eye’ back toward his friend.

_ What was it trying…..? Oh. _

A splash of blood hit the console in front of Piett.

_ Son of a Hutt, this was getting more frequent.  _ Veers tried to quell the sense of dread in his stomach, as he grabbed another wad of bandage out of his pocket.

“Pardon me, Firmus,” he said, and reached around his friend to hold it to his face so as to allow the Admiral freedom to work.

“ _ Stars _ ,” muttered Piett, “this is getting old.” 

“How is your head?” the General asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

“Hurts,” replied Piett succinctly, “but it’s not crippling. I’m…..I’m still  _ me _ , Max. That’s something right?”

And Veers heard the need for reassurance in his friend’s voice, hard as Piett was striving to keep it steady. 

_ Princess, I hope you make it slow and agonizing.  _

“It’s everything, Firmus. I don’t mind telling you that was my biggest fear. I was rather relieved when you finally woke up, and were clearly your same stubborn bastard self.” He put as much conviction as he could into his tones. 

_ You’re going to be all right. We’re all here to make sure of that.  _

Piett seemed to relax slightly. “Thank you, General. I try.”

The console’s lights turned green. Veers moved his hand.

“How’s that Piett?”

“Seems to have slowed down again, thanks.” He was working on the third one when they heard the commotion in the corridor outside.

_ Kriff _ .

“How long do you think it will take them to get through that door?” Piett asked.

“I’ll assume they’ll try the conventional way, realize it’s jammed and then bring in laser cutters, so…..10 minutes?”

Piett huffed. “Well  _ that’s _ not a tall order. R2? We need to fly.”

  
  


****

Anakin ran back in a circuitous route, heading to the bays once more. 

Having wreaked destruction above against the troopers, he decided to keep them occupied and hopefully away from his children and his men. A blaster bolt burned his shoulder----he twitched at the pain and in that moment, his control on his shielding slipped ever so slightly…..

…... _ I will destroy you. _

He felt the surge in the Force at the profound evil in that voice. He  _ knew _ that voice. How?

His children’s signatures were both singing with fear on his behalf, and he knew when they made their resolve….

He had reached the catwalk to hangar 22. More troopers were here, and he reached fully in the Force. No point now in hiding---he could feel the presence approaching him, and in the background he felt his daughter’s determination. She was coming. He hoped this meant she had found and freed their people. He assumed so.

He deflected blaster fire with more ease now, and could feel the fear of the enemy troopers in facing a fully trained Jedi. For he was that now. A grey one perhaps, but he had put off the Sith.

_ ….Jedi. You filth. You traitorous filth.  _

That voice.

Executor’s crew, who had been working under guard in the bay, were turning on their former captors as he flew through their enemies. 

Then. It was as though an icy wave had crashed through the bay---even the non-Force sensitives felt it, pausing to turn to the entrance as a tall, dark figure strode in. 

It lifted its silver masked face up to Anakin and a red blade surged into being in its hand.

_ Come meet your fate, Anakin Skywalker.  _

  
  


****

  
  


Leia was barely aware of the other individuals she passed in her single minded determination to get to her Father. Some were merely techs and ship’s crew. She reached fully into the Force, discerning who was friend and foe as she sprinted, troopers flying out of her way as she shoved them with her power. She reached the lift she needed and slammed the button, breathing hard.

_ Father! _

_ Daughter! _

_ I’m coming. Hold on.  _

Then. A new voice---poisonous and black.

_ Yes. Come join us little princess. _

_ Her Father’s rage and protective instincts….. _

_ Luke’s alarm on her behalf… _

_ Do what you need to Luke, and let us handle this! _

The turbolift stopped and she reached….there, her Father’s intense presence, focused on battling….

...she had never felt darkness like this.

Leia sprinted into the huge hangar bay, igniting her lightsaber as she came. 

And at last she confronted the ‘Evil’ as the Lady termed him. How appropriate. He stood back from crossing his blood red blade with her Father’s…..her Father’s blade was no longer red, but…..purple? They changed?

“Yes, little princess they do. In his case as he has weakened, his blade displays that.”

She came to stand near her Father. She could feel that he was glad to see her, but also deeply concerned and….unsure about the creature in front of them. 

“Leia Skywalker. Daughter of Padme Amidala…”

“Do not SPEAK her name,” her Father growled.

“....and Anakin Skywalker. But all that was a mystery to you, until two years ago. I still sense much anger in you, little princess---anger that he wanted his son, but not  _ you _ .”

_ Waves of choking regret from her Father _ . 

“Not true,” he spat, “I didn’t  _ know… _ .!”

“And didn’t care,” the Force user turned towards her. “I see now, this….  _ affection _ you have for the Admiral. How very useful for me when I kill him in front of you, in every way both of you fear.”

And Leia felt terror rising to choke her throat.

“ _ Leia _ ,” her Father said. “Do not let him manipulate you. Clear your mind.”

“I will have them all again soon. And they will all die in front of you. Your brother. Your lover. The man you love like a father. And….”

He chuckled. “....your blood Father. Perhaps you would like to strike him down yourself.”

“Never,” she told him. “I know the consequences of that. We have made our peace.”

She felt Anakin’s support and strength near her.

“Have you though? How is it that he didn’t sense you on the Death Star?”

_ Another chill swept her. _

“How do you know that?” she snapped. “Who are you? A coward who can’t show his face?”

He laughed again. “You are much like he was. Perhaps in time you too will call me ‘master’.” 

Anakin’s dread was reaching her now as the user reached toward his face with his free hand. Leia watched in horrified fascination as he grasped the silver mask by its grill and carefully pulled it away. 

“That…...is not possible,” her Father breathed, and she felt his revulsion and dread.

“Ah, my old friend, I always had contingency plans. And cloning was readily available.”

Understanding washed over her like a cold and dirty wave.

“Yes,” he said, slowly turning toward her. “You should kneel before your Emperor.”    
  


And Sidious flung out a hand, forcing them to the deck. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Han causes havoc. :) R2 and Piett cut things very close in their quest for the Lady....

“Toss me one more,” Han called, and Luke sent him one more magnetic detonator. Han was standing on one of the stainless steel galley tables, and he placed the detonator on the hood of one of many massive ranges, before hopping down once more.

_ He was having deja vu of Endor’s shield generator. Good times. Of course Luke had been off killing Sith Lords then…  _

“You’re sure we cleared everyone out of here?” he asked his friend.

“I’m sure,” Luke replied.

Han was really looking forward to this one. He almost wanted to stick around and watch it. The combination of the explosives with the fuel from the ranges….whew. 

“Ok, kid, do your voodoo when we get to the other end,” he told the Jedi as they jogged down the huge galley, only one of many on the Executor.

He almost ran into Luke when the shorter man suddenly stopped.

“Han! Go back the other way.” 

Having learned over the years not to ignore seemingly bizarre advice from Jedi, Han turned as the doors on the far end hissed open to reveal stormtroopers, streaming through.

He turned back around in time to see a familiar figure at the head of more troopers coming the other way as well.

_ Stars, they were kriffed. _

“Well this was an act of monumental stupidity,” commented General Pryde, blaster steady in his hand. 

“Han get under the table,” Luke said, and Han obeyed, sliding on his knees as several things happened simultaneously.

Blasters fired. 

Luke leapt above that, and did something with his hand at the same time and…

….oh Force, he was detonating them  _ now….he was getting his wish but damn….. _

Han covered his head with his arms as orange flames roared forth up and down the galleys in a massive hungry fireball. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, and was tumbling, heat licking over his body…..

But he wasn’t burnt to a crisp. 

When he stopped moving, he dared to raise his head, and met Luke’s eyes above him. The young Jedi still had his hand flung out ,and Han realized that he had protected them from the bulk of the explosions.

Fires were crackling all around them, and acrid smoke was heavy in the air---the fuel in the ranges had done its part in the devastation as well. Far better than he could have hoped.There were white armored bodies scattered everywhere, some with their armor melted and cries and groans were beginning to echo.

“We have to go,” Luke said, and Han saw the regret in his friend’s face.

_ Luke never took death well, especially if he caused it directly. _

Still, Han was grateful that he hadn’t hesitated. 

They ran, scrambling over debris and bodies, making it to the entrance and out into the corridors once more. Alarms were blaring loudly, and he knew that there would be more people with them shortly. Luke stiffened suddenly, grabbed his arm and shoved them into the nearest maintenance closet.

“Uh…..kid?”

“We have to split up.” Luke’s eyes were huge in the dim light coming in from under the door.

_ Oh no way, not again…. _

“We’re not doing this, Luke. We….”

“Han. I have to be with them---I just….I felt….please trust me.”

“Luke, I trust  _ you _ . I don’t trust the circumstances that often surround you when you do things like this!!”

“I need to join Leia and Father.”

“You don’t have your sword.”   
  


“ _ Lightsa… _ .”

“I know kid, messin’ with you.”

“ _ He _ has it. And I want it back. Han, the Force is urging me….I need to be with them. We’re wasting time. You should find Veers and Piett, give them a hand with taking the bridge.”

“Fine. I hate it, but  _ fine _ . Good luck.”

Luke hugged him clumsily, and then they ducked out of the door as it hissed open. Han saluted with his blaster, and took off toward the bridge.

_ Skywalker Force issues. Give him a blaster any day with regular scum and villains.  _

He didn’t see Enric Pryde stumble from the wreckage of the galleys.

  
  


_ **** _

“Coming out of hyperspace in 3…..2…….1….mark.”

And the New Republic Fleet snapped into being near Kuat…

….to be met with an ocean of Star Destroyers.

Venka had expected it. They’d seen the recovered images. But the reality was so much worse. 

Executor hung dark and quiet in her moorings, and he had no way of knowing if his Lordship and the princess had made it aboard. He had to have faith, he supposed. They had done so against terrible odds many times before.

“Starboard flank-- engage all ships from our two o’ clock,” Venka ordered. “Port side you keep all the destroyers from our 10 o’ clock occupied. We take the center.”

“Antilles!” he said, switching channels. “Run interference. Black Squadron, Captain Antilles has dual command. Good luck!”

“And you Rear-Admiral,” came Antilles’ calm tones.”

“Any word from Ackbar?” Venka asked, turning to his comms officer.

“No sir, last given position reported, has them on course.”

_ Where are you?  _ He thought. They were outnumbered two to one. He had brought as much of the fleet as he felt could be taken from protecting the Capitol planet, but it was still woefully short of the numbers they needed. 

He tugged his collar gently, feeling warmer than he cared for. 

_ This was assuming that they still had people to save aboard Executor…. _

Venka tried to put the images of thousands of bodies out of his mind as Devastator shook from the first impacts against her shields. 

The TIES and X-wings were streaming forth from the fleet now, and he could see the enemy fighters embarking to engage. This was always difficult---- fighting Empire remnants with similar ship designs. 

They were here to save the Executor. Those were his orders and he needed to focus on that, and not what may or may not be happening aboard her. 

_ May the Force be with you _ , he thought. 

***

  
  


Piett felt slightly detached. It was as though he was both working furiously, but also as though he was watching himself do it. 

Beside him the R2 unit whirred away, and it was slightly difficult not to just stare at it. 

His Lady was contained in that round blue dome. He still didn’t understand how she’d done it. And he couldn’t ask her…..though the princess could… and his mind was wandering again. He shook himself and Veers gave him a side glance.

“I’m all right, Max, sorry…” 

He wasn’t. He felt….wrong and tired… FOCUS.

Green lights came into being on the third console.

He moved automatically to the next one--- the little droid following, and whizzing around him to plug in to the portal. 

“Veers,” he said, typing with muscle memory. “I think I need another shot.”

  
  
He felt, more than saw his friend stiffen.

“Firmus….it hasn’t even been an hour.”

_ Hadn’t it? It felt eternal. But this was Max and he owed him honesty…. _

“I’m….I’m having trouble focusing, General. And I can tell I’m rather tired…”   
  


“ _ Rather tired _ ,” Veers repeated, incredulous. “You mean on the verge of the galaxy’s biggest adrenaline crash? That kind of tired?”

“That’s what I said,” Piett angled him a slight smile.

“Well your terrible sense of humor is intact, so I suppose that’s something,” Veers grumbled, but Piett was grateful that he was rummaging for the next stim shot. 

The little droid tweeted at him. It almost sounded……. _ concerned _ ?

“It’s all right,” he told it, not even bothering to feel foolish about it. “I’ll be alright, keep working.”

A skeptical *blerk.

“Here you are,” said Max, and the shot released into his neck with instant results. Piett was fully aware he would regret this terribly later, but he needed that false energy now. Especially as he heard the laser cutter start up. 

“Come on, come on,” he muttered, and the fourth console came to green and glowing life.

“Let’s go,” he told the droid. Behind him, Veers had his rifle pointing at the entrance.

_ I need to hold it together. For Max. For my princess. Everyone on this ship. Please.  _ His head throbbed. 

“Estimated time?” Piett asked his friend.

“I’d say you have about 4 minutes.”

“ _ Kriff _ .”

“So true.”

Piett had never worked this swiftly in his life. It was an odd feeling--- the stim shot was allowing him to have a lasered focus, and things seemed much more clear and bright than they normally did. He felt as though he could hear every individual bolt and rotator within the droid’s extended arm. He was hyper conscious of Veers shifting behind him, and the hot smell of the laser cutter working at the durasteel door. 

But if he could get the Lady back to where she belonged…..she could operate the heavy blast doors. He had to work faster….

Green lights.

“Last one!” he called to Veers who had moved closer to the doors.

“Don’t stop then, Firmus, no matter what.”

_ And he wasn’t, but he didn’t like that tone or those words at all. _

“Max….”

“Get her back, it’s our best shot and you know it. I’ll hold them off.”

Piett risked a quick glance at the door, and realized they were almost through.

“Both or none, General, that’s the rule!” he shouted at his friend, typing furiously and suppressing the awful dread in his stomach. 

A beat.

“Not today, Admiral.”

_ No, no, no. Please go faster, please don’t take Max.  _

A clang and the door fell inwards to the deck. Piett willed the console to understand what he wanted. 

“PLEASE!” he yelled at it as blaster fire began, and he hit it with a fist. Pain burned through his arm.  _ Hells, his wrist….he’d forgotten…. _

Green lights.

Piett was grasping the blaster rifle and bringing it to bear at the same time as he spun around……

....and Max jerked and fell.

All noise cut out for Piett in that moment. He didn’t hear his own shots firing, blasting the first row of troopers back. He couldn’t hear himself crying out, but he knew he was. He couldn’t hear whatever it was that was distracting the rest of the men still out in the corridor, and looking to the left. 

He was in front of the fallen General, firing still, miraculously not hit himself, when…..

…. he felt Her.

He didn’t have the Force, but he  _ felt _ her---she was surrounding him once more, and then she confirmed it, when not one, but all six consoles suddenly lanced out with white brilliance and every trooper in the room was engulfed in her wrath.

And Piett’s hearing came back in time to hear several more blaster shots in the corridor, and the remaining troopers went down.

_ What in the nine hells…? _

Han Solo came jogging into the room. Piett had never felt so glad to see the man.

“So I take it that was her return debut,” Solo said to him, grinning like a madman.

Piett couldn't smile back though---tossing Solo his blaster rifle, he whirled to drop to his knees beside Veers. 

_ Who was opening his eyes. Who was still alive. _ The rush from that knowledge left him light headed, but he forced himself past the grey fuzz in his vision to focus on the bloody wound in Veers’ right shoulder. 

“R2 Unit!” he called, “bring me that duffel by console Two.” 

It twittered and obeyed though its dome was whizzing around madly. Was it….. _ pleased _ with itself?

He was ripping into the duffel---there was the medkit, he flipped it open, various things scattering as he found the bandages.

“Keep watch Solo,” he snapped, “I’ll do what I can, and then I’ll head for the bridge. You can secure this room now that the Lady is back….”

“Firmus.”

He paused as strong fingers closed around his wrist--happily not the fractured one---and he looked into Max’s grey eyes. 

“Take a breath.” And Veers had the cheek to actually smile at him. “It’s not bad.”

“I’ll determine that, thank you, General,” Piett returned huffily, slicing his friend’s uniform to reach the wound and clean it. 

“All right, if by ‘not bad’ you mean you’ll keep your arm, then sure, it’s not bad.” He gave Veers a pain killer, then began applying bacta bandages. “But I think you and Solo…”

“I’m just going to interrupt you there, Admiral. We are  _ all _ heading to the bridge. Or are you really having the almighty gall right now, to assume that I can’t handle this? Or that I would leave you  _ alone _ ?”

He might almost believe Max to be truly offended, given the tone, but his friend’s mouth was quirking. 

“Fine,” he said coolly.  _ He was calm, Veers. _ “Then sit up so I can secure this bandage effectively.” 

Solo kept watch at their backs while Piett eased the General’s jacket off, and made efficient work of bandaging his shoulder. Then Veers took his hand and they moved to their feet. 

“I know what you’re thinking, Piett, and you can’t ask me  _ not _ to have your back.”

Veers was taking up his rifle again, and Piett was putting the duffel back together, but he glanced at Max.

_ His friend, who was strained and bloody, but standing and determined. Who had faithfully stood with him all these years. And it would be unthinkable not to have the General…... _

“I know,” he sighed. “That’s why I was just  _ thinking _ it.”

Veers managed a grin. “Well that’s some progress then, Admiral. Solo,” He turned to the Corellian, “that was a fortuitous piece of timing. Thank you.”

Piett was grateful but….

“Where’s Skywalker?” he asked, not liking the darkness that filled the man’s expression.

“Force thing, apparently. Said he had to join them in fighting this bastard.”

Piett held Solo’s gaze for a long moment, both of them no doubt thinking the same thing.

_ Please let her be all right. _

Aloud, Piett said, “We need to take the bridge.”

  
  


****

[He had saved the humans  _ again _ . They were not as effusive in their thanks as he could have wished.]

<Blue one, the Lady said, they have other important tasks. And you saved  _ me _ . Are my thanks not enough?>

[I _did_ save you, Artoo acknowledged, spinning his dome in pleased satisfaction. I am glad to have you as your large self again, Lady. He knew that technically, he was not lighter. But he felt in his circuits as though he was merely the weight of a mouse droid, now that the Lady was where she belonged.]

<Blue one, you must focus now, the Lady chided. We must get the humans to my bridge. And I must speak with the Dear one. Help them.>

[Artoo felt her turn her attention to Leia Skywalker so he turned to the humans,  _ none _ of whom spoke binary of  _ course _ . But he was nothing if not a patient teacher. He could repeat himself and use rudimentary signs for them.]

“We need to take the bridge,” said the Admiral.

[Well at _last_ they were getting somewhere. Artoo zipped to the entrance, maneuvering around the bodies]

“Not this again,” groaned the General.

“Artoo, you can’t just charge off,” said Han Solo.

[I can, Artoo told him. You do so all the time. He turned and scanned the route on his internal display. The Lady had already sent him the latest update of enemy locations. This way, he informed the humans.]

“R2 unit,” said the Admiral skeptically, “that takes us away from the bridge.”

[Artoo rolled his holoprojector. Yes, but it will get us around the enemies.]

“Are we seriously considering following the demon droid here?” the General said impatiently. 

[So rude, Artoo told him loudly. I saved you numerous times, in this time cycle alone.]

[The Lady’s Admiral was looking at him thoughtfully.]

“Veers, I know you’ll think I’m insane, but yes. The Lady has shared more information than I care to think about with this droid---and he helped save her. I’m going to trust him here.”

[Finally, Artoo said. Took you long enough.]

[The Admiral raised an eyebrow at him.]

“That sounded remarkably disrespectful, droid.”

“Oh that’s almost a guarantee,” put in Han Solo. “He may be saving you, but I would always assume he’s insulting you while doing it.”

[Which. True.]

“Well then,” said the Admiral, “lead on R2 unit.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Venka is vastly outnumbered. The clone faces three Skywalkers. And Artoo has a route to the bridge. Action is going to be non stop for a while! :)

The pressure was crushing, but it was Leia’s mind that was reeling the most. 

_ How? How was this triple damned Sith here? Even clones couldn’t... _

“Ah, little princess. So naive in the way of the Force----of the  _ Dark Side _ . No, a mere clone would not have the Force. But  _ you _ understand, do you not? My. Old. Friend.”

Leia glanced sideways at her Father, both of them straining under the weight being placed upon them. He was glaring defiantly at the Sidious clone, his scarred face determined. 

“You pervert the Force. There are consequences for such uses.”

“Such as? Here I am. Alive. Ready to kill you and your spawn. And you talk to me of perversions---you who defied your order, to  _ marry _ and have  _ children _ . An abomination to the Jedi.”

“Even as he thrust me through on the Death Star,” he continued turning to Leia and speaking as if they were telling stories over caf, “I was sending my consciousness to a clone. I am not precisely the same of course. Some things were lost. But others gained. Such as a younger,  _ stronger _ body. And I had…. _ other _ genetic material at my disposal to make improvements. You recall that I think my old apprentice?”

Leia felt her Fathers revulsion. 

“You…. you used  _ my… _ ..?”

“The Chosen one and my own power?”

And Leia realized….  _ he’d used her Father’s genetic material... _

She felt ill herself. 

And the pressure increased, causing Leia to gasp. Then he cocked his head, as though listening. 

“Ah, the gathering is complete. Welcome, young Skywalker.”

_ No Luke!! _

And the Sidious clone thrust out a hand, sending her brother flying into the bulkhead. Her Father roared in anger beside her and Leia fought, because in that moment, she had glimpsed her brother’s lightsaber on the belt of the Sith. 

“You see? Three of you and yet, you cannot fight against me. Do you not see how weak the Jedi are? Is it not abundantly clear? Little princess.”

He speared her with his yellow gaze. “I can give you true power. Join me and I will teach you.”

“Have you forgotten that I am a politician as well as a Jedi?” she spat at him. “Power can have many definitions. I can guess at yours. And I have no desire for  _ that _ .”

Behind her, Luke was moving slowly, regaining his strength. She could feel her Father, proud of her resistance.

“Perhaps you need a demonstration,” the Sith clone snarled darkly and raised his hands…..

….and Leia was suddenly aware of being surrounded, nearly overwhelmed, by something new yet familiar. Her Father gasped beside her.

<Dear one, said the Lady, I am here to help you.>

Leia’s blinding joy was surging from her, and suddenly she felt….powerful. Not because she desired to dominate or destroy, but because Luke was right. She loved all those she was defending---and one of her greatest allies was with her.

The clone had felt it too. “What is happening?” he growled as Leia rose to her feet. 

Two things happened simultaneously.

The Lady created a huge energy beam from the extensive lighting in the ceiling of the bay.

As it shot forth toward Sidious, Leia thrust out her hand and called her brother’s lightsaber to herself. 

“NO!” he screamed as the familiar cylinder landed in her hand.

The clone flung out both hands to stop the beam, but she could feel his exertion in the Force to keep the Lady at bay, so Leia used her moments. She spun to see her brother climbing to his feet.

_ Luke! _

And she sent his weapon to him, feeling his renewed energy as it landed in his hand. Then he was sprinting towards them as her Father lept toward Sidious, and the clone had a two front battle on his hands. 

She felt the wave of staggering, raw power as he shoved at the Lady, and half the lights in the bay were shattered, raining glass down like a storm. All of them used their lightsabers to protect themselves and then, in the dimness, the clone unleashed lightning, blue and deadly.

The three Skywalkers raised their blades like shields allowing the Force lightning to coil and snap around them hungrily, but this…..this was  _ so _ much.

The clone laughed hideously. “This is true power, Leia Skywalker! How do you define it, you weak fools?”

“In this moment?” her Father panted. “I define it…. as….. _ redemption _ !”

And he moved forward with tremendous effort as the Lady launched a new attack simultaneously.

The clone was flung back and the Lady was speaking to her urgently.

<Dear one! The fleet is here! I need my moorings released!>

<How? Leia asked.> She moved with her Father and Luke cautiously toward Sidious, who was rising to hands and knees.

<Your powers, Dear one. You can do it without damaging me.>

Leia appreciated the Lady’s faith in her, but wasn’t sure she could divide herself in such a way…..

The clone flung out his hand and Leia was tumbling, her blade skittering across the deck as all the air left her lungs. 

  
  


*****

Venka grasped a console tightly as Devastator rocked heavily under a barrage from three different destroyers.

“Report!” he called, righting himself.

“Sir, we can’t take much more of that!”

“Drop us down 5 klicks immediately. Alert all hands to brace for gravity shift!”

“Aye sir!”

And the big ship lurched with a sickening pull as it leapt to obey.

“Forward guns, angle 90 degrees and give those Destroyers everything you’ve got!”

And the pressure from dropping was tremendous, but his crew rallied and the Devastator’s turbolasers ripped forth.

“Ion canons, follow up barrage!” Venka roared.

And the three destroyers were left sparking and drifting.

“Antilles…..!” he began on his comm.

“I see them, sir. This is Rogue Leader, all available fighters on me. Take out those injured Destroyers!”

Venka saw the fighters stream in, and in moments massive fireballs were ripping forth---the ships were well and truly crippled, one detonating completely. 

But despite that small victory, things were not going well otherwise. 

There were just too many of them. 

Then. 

“Rear Admiral,” came familiar gravelly tones. “Where would you like us?”

And his bridge crew cheered.

“As you were!!” he yelled.

“Admiral,” he said as calmly as possible, “we’re pleased to have you sir. You can see that our starboard flank is being hit hard.”

“Then we’ll stand there,” Ackbar returned and the rest of the fleet moved into position.

Venka let out a breath as the enemy Destroyers moved to face this new threat. 

_ And kriff, even with the rest of the fleet, he couldn’t honestly say it was an even match. The Mon Calamari cruisers had more maneuverability than Star Destroyers, but they weren’t nearly as powerful…... _

Fighters were swarming throughout the lancing fire of the bigger ships, and he was still trying to pinpoint which ship might be the flagship for this fleet, when something caught his eye in all the bright flashes through the viewport. 

_ What was that? What was different? _ His brain struggled to catch up as he looked out at the vast battlefield. 

And it hit him with sudden dread.

The Executor’s running lights had come on---their ethereal blue glowing into life. 

_ Oh kriffing hell. Their enemies had Executor up and running. Which meant…..No. He couldn’t think about what that could mean.  _

And then all else was driven from his head as a massive explosion on the starboard side lanced into his vision.

“What was that?” he called. 

“Sir…..” the comms officer was stunned. “Sir, Home One was just obliterated.”

There was a beat of silence on the bridge. 

“Time to mourn later,” he ordered. “Message the fleet---- I have taken full command.”

_ Good stars, Admiral, _ he thought. 

  
  


****

  
  


His shoulder was distantly letting him know that if he dropped his guard, there would be all sorts of pain. Currently, however, the painkiller Piett had shot him with was keeping that at bay. It also meant they had one less of those shots which concerned Veers, glancing out the side of his eye at the Admiral as they followed Skywalker’s psychotic astromech in this circuitous route to the bridge. 

His friend was still operating on the energy the stim shot had given, but Veers felt in some ways as though Piett was functioning on a countdown. He was fearful of what could happen when it reached zero. 

At the moment, he could also see that the return of the Lady had bolstered his friend tremendously, and his hazel eyes were on fire with the drive to retake his ship fully. 

_ And when this is over, Firmus _ , Veers thought at his friend,  _ we are enforcing your recovery if that damned droid has to sit on you to do it. _

The blue astromech stopped suddenly, causing Piett to stumble slightly, swearing under his breath. 

“Still sure you want to be following him?” Veers whispered.

The Admiral shot him a foul look but didn’t reply, glancing swiftly around the corner.

“I don’t see anything,” he said softly to the droid. “What is it?” 

In answer it turned on its holoprojector with a diagram. Piett studied it carefully. 

“All right. He’s located numerous troop placements between us and the bridge. They don’t appear to be taking chances with it, damn it. What is this red route? I’m not familiar with those corridors…...Oh.  _ Oh _ . R2, that’s a rather tall order….”

“What is it?” Solo hissed. 

“He’s giving us a route to the bridge in the turbo shafts.”

“As in….?” Solo pressed.

Piett groaned, and leaned back against the bulkhead. “He has us climbing five decks of maintenance ladders.”

The Corellian raised his eyebrows and whistled. “We’re not all Luke, you know, Artoo. And these two have injuries that would make that pretty difficult. Besides, how would you get up there?”

The droid twitter and whirred, marking another route.

“Is he saying he’d meet us there?” Piett asked. Solo shrugged. 

“Looks like it.”

Veers sighed. “All right, I agree this is….daunting, but it does have the element of surprise, because this shaft here leads directly into the bridge.”

Piett was nodding. “Lady?” he asked, looking up. “Are you on board with this?”

And the lights flickered, causing his friend to grin widely.

_ Yes, from thinking he’d never see that again, to this, he could imagine the joy Firmus was feeling. Hopefully that would help carry him through this next phase of the plan.  _

Solo and the droid pried apart the doors to the turbolift they needed. The little droid chirped and blatted.

“I’ll guess that he’s saying he’ll meet us up there?” Piett guessed. 

A sharp trill and rocking. 

“Looks like a yes,” Veers told his friend.

And the droid was whizzing away. 

Piett shifted his blaster rifle to his back and made to do the same with their duffel of explosives, but Solo held out a hand. 

“I can take that sir, you’ve got a bad arm.”

“All right thank you, Solo. I’ll go first, then…”

_ Piett, you cannot always opt to take the first hit, for kriff’s sake. _

“Firmus,” Veers sighed and rubbed his face. “If this is more of that overprotective nonsense….”

Piett raised a very Imperial eyebrow at him. “Would you care to hear my plan before you jump to conclusions, General?”

“Fine, please,” Veers waved his good hand. 

“I will go first because it’s my ship, yes Veers, but also, if…” he hesitated very slightly, “....if I slip for some reason, one of you can catch me.”

_ You mean if you lose consciousness due to whatever that damned demon did to you. _

He and Solo shared an understanding glance that Piett either didn’t see, or chose to ignore. 

“I think you should be next Veers, due to that shoulder, and you take the rear, Solo.”

_ All right, perhaps his friend might just possibly be learning to let others help him shoulder the weight of the galaxy. _

“You got it, Admiral,” Solo nodded, and Piett peered into the lift shaft. 

“All right.” Veers could feel him judging the distance and willed his friend to make it. 

Piett disappeared into the darkness of the empty lift and then he heard a clang and swearing….

“Firmus?”

“Got it. Just….wrist.”

Veers peered in, and could just see his friend climbing above him in the dim light.    
  


He made the jump and managed it with less trouble as he was taller. His shoulder still burned like hell, but he managed. 

Solo was last. 

“Let’s go,” Piett hissed from above him, and Veers prayed that the stim shot kept his friend going long enough to make the bridge.

  
  


****

Anakin jumped toward his old master as his daughter was sent skidding across the deck, Luke coming to his side, and a strange sense of deja vu swept over him. 

_ But this was different. He did not want to die in this confrontation. They weren't on the Death Star and he was free of the prison of his suit. _

And both of his children were with him. On the Lady. 

The Lady, who was gathering herself----he could feel her and then…..she sealed the bay and removed the gravity. 

Startled exclamations all around, but Anakin was reaching for Sidious’ lightsaber.

And the Lady brought back the gravity, dropping them all to the deck heavily.

_ Kriffing hell, Lady, that hurt. _

But he tried to keep focus, and almost had the blade, when the clone laughed and snatched it back to his grasp. 

“This ship….is more special than I had anticipated. I will kill her properly next time.”

The remaining lights in the bay flashed red. 

He chuckled evilly. “Oh yes, after destroying your Admiral. I think your ship  _ fears _ that my old friend. What a weakness.”

Yes, she did fear that----Anakin could feel that sweeping over him. 

<Where is he, Lady? He asked.>

<On his way to my bridge to retake control, she answered. How can we destroy this Evil, Dark one? He is stronger than we are.>

<He is not. And…>

An idea had suddenly occurred to him. 

<Lady---I have an idea on how to destroy him, but we will need you. Can you give us the majority of your focus?>

He clashed his blade against that of Sidious, and Luke lunged underneath.

The Sith was too quick and moved like a snake, spinning around Anakin’s lightsaber, to block his son, and then he was fighting them both at the same time.

<Lady? Anakin yelled across their bond.>

<You are asking me to take away from my Admiral, she said, clearly torn.>

<Yes. For a short time. To  _ save _ him, Lady, please.>

Leia had regained her feet behind them and executed some impressive flips to land behind the clone. He flung a hand at her, but she was ready this time, pushing back. The clone snarled at her.

<I can do that, Dark one. What do you need?>

<He will use his lightning again, Anakin told her, pressing his advantage against the Sith and pushing him back. When he does, I need you to join us in repelling it back at him. I think with you, we will be able to destroy him with his own power.>

He and Luke were moving in tandem, and at last he could feel the clone tiring slightly. He was also picking up Leia’s focus on……

_ What are you doing, my daughter? _

_ Breaking the Lady’s moorings, _ she shot back tersely.  _ Let me focus _ .  _ Hold him off _ . 

_ We will need you soon, Leia! _

_ I know! I promise I’m coming, but she needs me to do this! _

Sidious raised a hand and suddenly, one of the AT-STs began to move swiftly across the bay toward the Skywalker men.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our Admiral has reached the bridge at last. Artoo and the Lady reveal a surprise.

Piett paused near the last deck and leaned down to wipe his forehead on his sleeve, without removing his grip from the rungs. He could hear the other two panting below him, and his injured wrist was screaming at him. 

“Solo!” he called down softly.

“What is it?”

“I need you to pass me a flash bomb and a thermal detonator. I don’t need to tell you both to be rather careful, please.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t fancy those going off in here.”

“Did that need to be said, Solo?” growled Veers, carefully passing the flash bomb to Piett, and reaching for the thermal detonator. 

“Do you think Artoo has made it up there by now?” the Corellian whispered, resettling the duffle against his back.

“I’m not sure, but I cannot work with unknown variables. I'll do my best with what we have at the moment,” replied the Admiral, carefully stowing the two weapons in his trouser pockets.

“So, I intend to use the flash first, followed by the detonator. That should give me enough time to get clear of the turbolift, and possibly you too, Veers. I’m taking cover near the weapons station, you use comms. Solo, guard our backs near the hologram pod, and if the blast doors aren’t sealed already, get them down.”

“Clear,” said Veers succinctly.

“Some of them are our men,” continued Piett, “so do your best not to hit them.”

“Firmus,” said the General, as Piett turned to make the final climb. He paused to look down at the vague outline of his friend. 

“I’d quite like you to stay alive,” the General said simply, and Piett heard worlds of feeling in his words.

_ I can’t ask you to be careful because we’re in a battle. Don’t you dare take any unnecessary risks. _

“Thank you, Max. I’ll endeavor.”

He climbed up the final set of rungs and paused as he came level with the doors. This was the trickiest part. He would have to make the jump onto a very small ledge, and pry them open just enough to get the flash bomb out. Then he had to hope that bought him enough time to open the doors fully and toss the detonator.

The tension from Veers and Solo below him was almost palpable. 

He gathered himself, took a deep breath, and leapt across, latching onto the frame of the doors with a death grip. His wrist flared with pain.

And the doors hissed open.

_ What….? _

But Piett’s training was automatically kicking in, and he grasped the flash bomb without pausing, to pitch in as hard as he could, before moving in himself, grabbing the thermal detonator and clicking it on with his thumb.

He knelt to the side of the lift as the flash went off accompanied by yells and cries. He gave a quick glance to the bridge---most armed troopers seemed to be on the walkways---and pitched the detonator toward the defense station.

*Blert. 

In that moment he knew how the doors had opened, as he caught sight of a small blue astromech trying to be as unobtrusive as possible over near the hologram pod, his little arm plugged into a portal. 

The thermal detonator went off. 

“Shut the blast doors!” Piett yelled at the R2 unit, and ran for the weapons station, firing as he went. He could hear Veers behind him, and he dove for the cover of the station as the enemy troopers returned fire. 

He risked a glance back, and could see Solo emerge from the lift then turn and fire at the control panel, destroying the option for anyone else to reach the bridge that way. 

And  _ oh kriff, _ troopers were running from the corridors toward the bridge, and now they were taking fire from two sides…….

The blast doors slid closed with a secure finality. 

_ It seemed that R2 made it a habitual practice of coming through at the last minute during intense situations. Piett had now been on both sides of his skills.  _

Piett turned his attention to the remaining troopers on the bridge as he and Veers each took a knee and picked them off with quick and merciless shots. 

And then it was quiet but for the spark of consoles and groaning of wounded men. Piett rose cautiously, bringing his blaster rifle to his shoulder and approaching the Pit, sighting down the barrel. 

“If you don’t belong on my bridge get your hands in the air now,” he ordered the men taking cover amongst the half repaired consoles. 

“Admiral,” exclaimed one of them in relief. Veers came to the other side, keeping his rifle pointed down as well. 

“How do we know which of you are actually our men?” he asked. There were four alive with their hands in the air.

“Lady?” asked Piett, and she shone white light on two of them, red on the others. 

“It’s great to have you back, Lady,” Veers commented, smiling, as he and Piett motioned the two red lighted techs to get out of the Pit. 

Solo made himself useful by confiscating binders off the troopers and securing those still living. They moved the bodies aside.

“All right, Admiral,” Veers said, pale but stalwart, “priorities?”

Piett looked out the viewport to see a vast battle around them. 

“ _ Kriffing hell _ ,” he breathed.

_ The sheer amount of enemy destroyers. And he could see what Venka was trying to do, but….. _

“Damn,” said Solo coming to his shoulder. “I wish I was in the Falcon right now.”

“I need you here, Solo,” Piett told him. “We’re severely undermanned up here to fight this battle. But we’re going to fight it.”

_ And he couldn’t think about what the three Skywalkers were battling as he spoke. His mind and heart wanted to focus on that, and he had to wrench his attention to his duty in this conflict. _

“I need weapons operational,” he told them, looking at the two techs. “How close are we?”

They glanced at each other. 

“Sir,” said one hesitantly. “We need more hands and even so…..”

Twittering and blerts as the astromech trundled over. Solo nodded. 

“Yeah, that’s right, how about him? And I can hotwire pretty much anything….”

_ Piett would try not to think about what they would do to his pristinely maintenanced Lady.  _

He sighed, and Veers looked over with a quirk of his eyebrow.

_ Don’t say anything Max, don’t you dare.  _

“Very well. R2 I’m warning you now, if you do something to mess with my ship, I will personally blast you.”

Incredibly rude burbling noises. 

“I think I’m glad I don’t know what that means,” Veers said.

“Veers I need you on weapons---as soon as they’re operating you’ll be firing.”

“Yes, sir, Admiral.”

“And I’ll need to pilot with thrusters as the engines aren’t online.”

Max and Solo both looked at him dubiously. 

“We’re moored at the moment, Piett, how do you propose….?”

Piett hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck.

_ I can’t believe I’m doing this and I’m so sorry, Lady…. _

“I’m going to break them.”

Everyone stared at him.

“That’s…….going to be quite the damage……”

“I  _ know _ , Veers,” Piett snapped, “but we can still operate, and we need to be able to move to help our fleet. Let’s get to it.”

The techs hopped back into the Pit, Solo close behind, and the resourceful little droid fired his booster rockets ( _ how had that ever been a good idea, my Lord? _ ) and lowered himself in as well. 

_ And son of a Hutt, his head was hurting so badly, but he had to keep going….  _

He felt the familiar warmth on his face again as he leaned against a console, and Veers was next to him, holding out another wad of bandage.

“Thanks, Max.” He could feel the General studying him, his concern like a wave battering him.

“Painkiller or stim shot?” asked his friend softly, as Piett tried to stem the nose bleed. 

“Both?”

Veers sighed. “Last stim shot, Firmus, and I don’t think you should even try to take another.”

“How’s the arm?” Piett asked thickly around the bandage.

“Attached, which is, I suppose, a good thing.”

The General gave him both shots and while they helped, it wasn’t having as great an effect as before. His body was telling him he’d had more than enough.

_Well that’s just too bad isn’t it?_ _I am seeing this through to whatever end is in store, and I’m doing it on my feet._

Piett rolled up his sleeves and looked down at the techs. “Where do you want me?”

  
  


****

Veers watched his friend kneeling in front of a console in the Pit, and following directives given by one of the techs who was swiftly attaching multitudes of wires into the bulkhead.

Solo and the other tech were in front of a different bundle of wiring, and the droid menace seemed to know what it was doing which was…….good?

Piett had insisted that Veers reserve the last painkiller for himself, and given that his friend was already way beyond his limits, Veers hadn’t fought him on it. Piett’s stubborn bastard gleam was shining strongly in his eyes.

But it left the General feeling useless as he waited for things to come together. He sat at weapons, his blaster rifle trained at the doors, and casting occasional glances at the battle raging outside. 

They were relatively safe behind these doors, but if that Forcer user overpowered the Skywalkers…..

And he longed desperately to know what was happening there. 

He brought his gaze back to the frantic activity in the Pit. 

Piett had that eyebrow up--the one he did when he was concentrating hard--and was carefully twisting something into place inside the console. Veers was trying not to worry about whether he’d see another nosebleed. They were happening roughly every twenty minutes, and his friend was an unhealthy white already. They both knew the only reason he was upright was due to the drugs in his system, and his ridiculous willpower. He suspected Piett was one giant bruise under his uniform as well, but  _ that _ he knew Henley could repair. The rest…..

…..the rest needed a small brunette with astonishing power and great love for his friend. 

The droid suddenly got very excited, and began spinning his blue dome and rocking madly. 

“What is it Artoo?” asked Solo and one of the techs moved to where the astromech had been working, to examine the console. 

“Admiral, forward port turbolasers are online!” 

_ Should they be disturbed at how fast the droid had done that? Or was the Lady herself talking to it? _

“Very good.”

_ Ah. Piett was in Admiral mode now. He was ready to fight.  _

Veers smiled. 

“R2 get to work on the starboard turbolasers then!” Piett commanded. The little astromech fixed its camera on the Admiral.

*Bleep.

“Why is he just sitting there?” Piett asked, turning to Solo.

“I’m not the expert here,” the ex smuggler said with a shrug, “but if I had to guess, he’s waiting for ‘please’.”

“Oh for….” Piett pinched the bridge of his nose. “ _ Please _ get them working.  _ Kriffing droid _ …” this softly under his breath. 

The blue astromech trundled to another console and plugged in. Piett ascended the ladder out of the Pit and headed toward the pilot’s station. He stumbled, but righted himself and Veers tried to keep his heart out of his throat. 

“I’m going to get thrusters warming….”

The Executor rocked gently under the force of a distant explosion. 

“What was  _ that _ ?” Piett demanded, whirling on the techs. One was looking at a readout.

“Sir…..I’m not sure how it’s happening sir, but that was one of our aft moorings disintegrating.”

“ _ How _ ?”

The Lady flickered a light discreetly on the pilot’s console. Piett stared at this considering. 

“Someone find me a datapad,” he demanded, meeting Veers’ eyes. “I should have grabbed one sooner.”

Solo found one and tossed it to him.

Piett typed in something, and repeated his question as another explosion occurred.

“Forward mooring!” reported the tech.

Piett looked up from whatever the Lady was showing him on the pad, and moved to Veers.

Wordlessly, the Admiral handed it to his friend. 

The Lady was displaying an image of the princess.

_ What in the nine hells…..? _

Piett was gazing at him intently, and comprehension dawned for the General.

_ The  _ **_power_ ** _ in that small frame. She was blowing the moorings? With her mind? Which also implied that the Lady had planned this…… _

“I don’t understand sir!” the tech called again. “Maybe someone set charges down there? It just seems so targeted. It’s designed not to do damage to our girl, I don’t know  _ how… _ .”

“Well, I’m not complaining,” replied Piett taking back the pad, with a significant look at Veers, and turning back to the pilot’s station. 

“Veers, are you ready on weapons?”

“Ready, Admiral.”

“Then I’m warming thrusters……”

But a massive rumble shook the entirety of the 19 kilometer ship, and Piett grabbed the console to keep himself upright.

“Last mooring blown sir!” shouted the tech. “And, and I don’t understand it…...”

Piett was staring intently at his datapad, and glancing at the blue astromech in the Pit, then up at the ceiling, with a look of awe.

“You miraculous,  _ beautiful… _ ..” he started, a slow smile growing on his face. 

“Change of plans. Battle stations!” he ordered. “Solo, I need you on weapons with Veers ready for the moment that droid gets the rest of the turbolasers functioning! Technicians keep working down there with R2.”

The Corellian was scrambling to obey.

“Firmus,” Veers didn’t care for the protocols he was breaking right now. “What the hell are you…..?”

And Piett turned to him with a massive smile, looking better for the first time since this had begun. “The Lady got her own engines online. No doubt with help from our little blue friend. Hid it from them by rerouting…..I’ll tell you how she did that later. We have full power.”

“Engage those Destroyers attacking the Devastator. I’m taking us in.”

And Piett turned and hit the controls.

Beneath their feet, the Lady rumbled and moved to do battle.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lady expresses herself to the First Order. And Sidious faces three Skywalkers united.....

Venka staggered once more as the Devastator took another terrific blast.

“Sir, our starboard shields are gone!”

“I’m aware, commander. Focus our attack on the Destroyer at our 11 o’clock!”

“Sir! Executor’s moorings are exploding, sir!”

_ Oh kriffing hell. She was going to engage.  _

“Alert Tyrant, Capitol and Vanguard! Have them engage on my mark. If we all target her forward weapons together, we might….”

Even as he watched she surged forward smoothly, her massive engines powering up.

_ How was that possible? He knew her schedule for retrofitting. She shouldn’t be able to do this yet….the fleet would be destroyed by their own flagship…. _

And suddenly, as she moved, her running lights switched from the standard blue, to brilliant white.

But….. that.

She only did that if…..

Her forward portside battery lanced out, and the Lady released her pent up rage on the First Order Fleet, utterly pulverizing the ships that were the most imminent threat to the Devastator. 

Venka really hoped his mouth wasn’t hanging open. He couldn’t even bring himself to reprimand his cheering bridge crew. 

“Sir!” came over the noise, and he remembered himself.

“As you were!” he yelled.

The crew quieted, but he could feel their renewed energy. 

“Sir, I…...I have Admiral Piett for you sir.”

_ Would it be terribly undignified if he sank to the deck in relief? _

“On….ahem...on speaker, lieutenant.”

“Venka,” came those familiar, calm tones. 

Thank the  _ Force _ .

“I’m coming up to your port side. Have the port flank adjust for the Lady, and send reinforcements to your starboard flank. We can’t offer you any fighters, but I think we’ll manage. Direct your efforts starboard.”

“Yes sir.”

And Piett said the words that Venka was delighted to hear again. 

“I have command, Rear-Admiral.”

“Yes,  _ sir _ !” 

****

[Artoo felt that the Lady’s Admiral was a bit bossy. He mentioned this.]

<I am rather occupied at the moment, Blue one. And my Admiral  _ commands _ . He is not 'bossy'.>

[Artoo could sense that the Lady was indeed giving much of her attention elsewhere. Ah, Luke Skywalker was fighting the Evil with Anakin Skywalker and Leia Organa Skywalker. He wished to go and help them, but they had powers. These humans on the bridge did not. The Lady would want him to help them.]

[Artoo was nothing if not helpful. So he continued to work on the weapons’ systems as the Admiral---- _ commanded _ . There.]

“Admiral, starboard weapons are online!!”

“Solo, are you ready?”

“Yes, sir!”

“The ships approaching Devastator at 45 degrees on our starboard…….fire now.”

[Yes indeed, working perfectly. Artoo moved to the next console the human technician was pointing to. Ah yes, the ion cannons. He knew ion cannons. He informed the tech that he knew ion cannons. The man smiled nervously. Fine. No one understood, but he would save them all anyway.]

“Venka! We’re going to cover your weak side. Tuck in close to midships on our port. Get your fighters focused on those bridge deflector shields. They might not have received the upgrades ours did.”

[Yes, Artoo saw why the Lady liked her Admiral. He did indeed tell all the other humans what to do. Even Han Solo listened.]

[While he worked on the ion cannon, he scanned the Lady’s Admiral again as she had asked. Artoo was an excellent multi tasker.  _ Oh _ . That was concerning. Artoo was not sure what was currently powering him.]

[You need maintenance, he called to the Admiral. No one looked up. Typical humans.]

[Lady, Artoo said and waited. She didn’t respond. All right. He would fix the ion cannon, and then he would try to help fix the Admiral. Yes. He was the Lady’s and Artoo would help her in this way.]

  
  


*****

“No!”

Luke shook the sweat out of his eyes and felt his sister’s strain as she tried to stop the AT-ST coming at them. She couldn’t on her own…..but the Lady was more than willing to help and lanced out with another energy burst, directly into the weapons turret, and the walker exploded outward.

Luke flung himself to the deck and felt his Father’s power shoving at him as well.

_ Worry about yourself, Father, he sent. I don’t want you getting hurt because you were distracted by us. _

_ Luke, I was distracted by you and your sister the moment I knew you existed. It’s not likely to change. _

_ Leia? _

_ I’m all right. Where is the clone? _

_ And Luke felt the sulphurous evil presence---angry and frustrated and powerful…. _

He rose once more, reigniting his blade and sensed his twin doing the same across the way, as a large piece of walker debris was flung towards Luke, and Sidious made his presence known.

The young Jedi diverted it with an outflung hand and another piece was bearing down…..

But his sister had stopped it, and he could feel her anger growing.

_ Leia….we’re defending. I understand sister, but…. _

_ Good, little princess…… _

Luke and Leia both twitched as his dark touch entered their minds.

_ Out filth! Leia told him. _

_ Oh, you are so much more powerful when you’re angry. _

_ Leia…..Luke felt her listen and strive for control, allowing her anger to be present, but as an undercurrent. _

_ The clone’s frustration was strong. _

Beneath their feet the Lady surged. She was moving to engage in the battle then. He looked to Leia who was smiling in triumph.

“They’ve taken the bridge,” she told Sidious, “the Lady will destroy your fleet.”

He stared at her for a beat, and a slow smile crept across his face. 

“No, no,  _ you _ badly underestimate me, princess. Now, unleash your anger.”

“I will not,” Leia stated firmly as Anakin moved to Luke’s side once more.

And the clone chuckled, and something was happening in the Force. Luke felt a distant stab of pain, but it wasn’t his….he didn’t understand.

Both his Father and Leia froze however. 

“Stop!” she yelled. 

Sidious’ eyes were vibrant yellow, and his sister’s wrath was surging forth…..

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” she raged, and suddenly she sprang to attack, her white blade impacting the red of the clone’s with stunning force. The clone cackled in a horribly familiar way.

Luke reached for her mind and understood. 

He was attacking Piett. He could feel the Admiral on the bridge under assault…..

And then Anakin was there, and Luke wasn’t sure how he did it, but it was as though a shield had come down, and it blocked the connection. Luke felt Piett’s relief, but he couldn’t focus on that. His sister was driving the clone back, sweat pouring down her face and her rage like a red curtain in the Force.

He ran to her, his own blade joining the attack. The clone was angry as well.

“Anakin, you were a fool to throw away what I offered. And now you are relegated to playing nursemaid to weak humans! I will use your daughter instead!!”

Luke felt his Father’s own wrath stir.

_ No! He thought at both his sister and his Father. If you listen to him, all those people we love, the ones we’re fighting for----they’re lost to us!! We don’t win his way!!  _

He felt his Father regain control with a mighty effort. He had fought this battle before and knew the consequences. 

He saw Anakin look at his daughter as he ignited his blade. He caught Luke’s eyes as well. 

_ I will do what I should have done from the beginning, he told them both. Protect you. _

And Anakin shoved Leia away with the Force and took her place. And he fought for his children.

  
  


*****

Piett could see the tide of battle turning. The fighters were following his orders to target the shield generators, and it seemed indeed that the First Order fleet had not improved the design as they had. 

He pushed the control for all fleet transmission.

“The moment our fighters are clear, take out their destroyers. Start forcing the others to engage the Lady. Trap them between her and the rest of our starboard flank.”

“R2, how close am I to having my ion cannon…..AH!” 

A white spear of pain drove through his mind and he couldn’t see. He clutched the console, and was vaguely aware of voices calling to him.

_ Make it stop. His brain was on fire. He couldn’t….. _

Metal under his knees. Hands on his shoulders.

_ It was like a knife twisted in his head. Explosions of pain….. _

….and then it was gone.

He realized he was kneeling on the deck, clutching his head in hands and panting. 

_ Kriffing hell. What had happened? Was this another delightful side effect? He felt brittle. _

“Firmus.”

And Veers had come around to take a knee in front of him.

“Talk to me. Admiral…..” His friend was working very hard to keep his voice steady in front of the men, but he could hear the underlying fear.

And with an effort, Piett lowered his hands and raised his head to meet intense grey eyes.

Solo made an exclamation beside him, and moved away as Veers blanched slightly. 

“Well. That’s awful. Admiral, are you…?”

“I’m….well, hells, I’m not alright, General but we both knew that already. I….I don't think anything else  _ new _ has occurred, except upping the pain in my head, but…..why are you looking at me like that?” Piett asked as Solo appeared in his peripheral vision.

“Here sir, you ah, look a bit like a horror holo,” he said, handing over a large bundle of bandage, which Piett took, and was angry at his hand for shaking slightly.

He wiped his lower face and realized that Solo was right----the amount of blood was not encouraging. 

“All right?” he asked Veers when he finished and the General, still on one knee before him, nodded. “Then I could use a hand up,” Piett said, wanting nothing more but to just lie down right there on the deck and close his eyes. 

Veers offered his good arm while Solo got on the other side and between them, Piett made it to his feet. Not very well or steadily, and he gripped the pilot’s console for balance. 

_ Kriff he did  _ **_not_ ** _ feel well. _

“Firmus,” Veers murmured at his side. “I know you are the epitome of a stiff upper lip, but perhaps…..”

“Perhaps  _ what _ ? I appreciate the concern, Max, I really do, but we have no options here. I…..well….some water…”

Veers turned. “I don’t suppose there are any water bottles down in the Pit?”

“Actually, yes sir, here,” and one of the techs handed a half full bottle up to Solo who brought it to the Admiral.

Piett downed it gratefully even though his stomach was not best pleased. 

He turned his attention back to the battle outside.  _ Force, give me strength. _

“All right, Veers, Solo, the fleet is successfully pushing them our way---time to show me how well you both can target Star Destroyers.”

Veers snorted as he and Solo moved back to weapons.

“There’s no need to be insulting, Admiral. You just stay there and command----we’ll happily give you some more space dust to navigate through.”

_ Thank you, Max, for letting me do my job. _

Piett smiled, albeit wearily, and focused on his calculations once more as he brought the Lady further into the conflict.

_ He knew there was a clock ticking in his head. He had no idea how much time he had left, but he would stay on the bridge of his Lady to the very end, and he would see the victory even if it was the last thing he did.  _

*****

<The Lady felt the attack on her Admiral. Stop him! She told the Dark one.>

<I  _ am _ , Lady, he returned urgently. And she watched as the Dear one leapt to engage the Evil, her anger very evident.>

<The Lady could almost wish for a body herself, to join the Dear one and give this Evil the slow death he deserved. She watched as all three Skywalkers approached and then, the Dark one shoved his daughter with his power.>

<What are you doing? She asked him, startled.>

<Talk to her Lady, the Dark one said, his blade moving like a living being. Tell her what I have told you. About killing in rage.>

<Dear one? The Lady asked, switching her focus as Luke Skywalker joined his Father once more, and the Dear one regained her feet, her anger now directed at her Father.>

<Not now Lady! She sent.>

<The Lady was unsure. She too felt the rage the Dear one did. She wanted to destroy, just like her. They were as one in this. She sent this to the Dear one, and watched as the princess stumbled slightly at the strength of the Lady’s wrath.>

<Lady…..she lowered her blade slightly.>

<I wish to avenge my Admiral as well, the Lady told her. I will help you do so now if you wish, Dear one. She felt the sudden doubt in the princess, and a spike of alarm from the Dark one.>

< _ Not _ what I meant, Lady! He sent urgently.>

<She ignored him. The Dear one shared her thoughts in ways that even the Dark one did not.>

< I have doubt on this action as well, Dear one. And the Lady felt the same thought from her Admiral’s princess. I do not know that our Admiral would desire us to do this, but I _will_ if you command it.>

<She felt the Dear one stop and consider.  _ No the Admiral would not desire them to seek vengeance. Not with the consequences it would have….> _

<The Evil yelled in frustration. He could not feel her in the same way, but he knew that something was happening between her and the Dear one.>

<No. Said the Dear one, new resolve on her face. No, we cannot win in that way Lady. You and I would become….. _dark_.>

<I fear this as well, said the Lady. Shall we help each other, Dear one? I wish to end this on  _ our _ terms. I wish for you to help our Admiral.>

<And she  _ felt _ the power surge up in the Dear one.>

<The Evil felt it too as the princess moved to engage, but her thoughts now were not of vengeance, but of a desire for victory---a desire to find her people and bring healing.>

<The Lady gathered herself, to help bring that victory.>

  
  


****

Luke felt his sister rejoin the fray, and her Force presence was like her blade---white in her passion, no longer red in her rage. Leia was looking beyond this fight. She had found what drove her, and her power was making the clone desperate.

Leia’s confidence and secure footing in the Light bolstered Luke and his Father. 

Anakin was actually smiling now as he fought, and the clone’s increasing frustration was clear in the Force. 

And Luke felt something familiar building….

_ Luke, Leia, when he unleashes his Force lightning, you must try and shove it back at him, his Father sent.  _

_ How? asked Leia. _

_ Your blade and your will, my daughter. _

“I had wished to kill all you cared about before your eyes, my apprentice. But no matter. Once I have destroyed all of you, rest assured I will kill your men as well.”

And Sidious, eyes glowing, unleashed the blue lightning at them, grimacing in his anger.

Luke took a step back to brace himself, and battled to keep his grip as he pushed back. Beside him Anakin kept his intense blue gaze forward, his grip on his lightsaber white knuckled. He could feel his twin like a white star on the other side of Anakin, pressing forward with all her might.

“Now Lady!” his Father called out loud, and from every power source in the bay and the surrounding decks, the Lady drew herself to them and launched her energy beam, dazzling in its strength, to join their lightsabers.

The clone shrieked as the Force lightning rebounded back toward him, entering his body and making him writhe.

Luke was sweating with the effort. He could feel the Dark side desperately shoving at him. Leia went to one knee, but kept her arms forward, even though they were trembling madly.

And then……. his Father.

Anakin roared, and Luke was reminded of the call of the Krayt dragons on Tatooine as the former Dark lord drove forward with a mighty thrust, and Luke felt the Force tremble a moment before Sidious disintegrated, throwing the Skywalkers back as though from the epicenter of a bomb. 

The rest of the Lady’s lights were shattered, and the ship herself shrieked in her mechanical voice as the bay went dark. 

  
  



	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tide of battle has turned on all fronts. The Lady and Leia continue to be a fantastic team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting a little earlier because I need to make cupcakes for my daughter's birthday. (I love making cupcakes. Sending all you lovely readers some imaginary ones, since I can't do the real thing. ;) )

“Some sort of explosion just happened in one of the hangar bays sir!” called on of the techs, after running to look at a blinking red read out. 

“Are we venting atmosphere?” Piett demanded, not turning his attention from the battle outside the viewport.

“No sir!” 

“Then, we’ll need to deal with it later,” the Admiral said, and Veers unleashed the Lady’s weapons once again as the pincer move that Piett had effected between his fleet and the Lady had devastating consequences for the First Order ships. 

“Get me…..! Sorry, forgot, no comms officer,” Piett said, moving to toggle a comms switch himself.

“This is the Admiral, all ships to Executor’s starboard, start closing in veil formation.” He thumbed, another switch and threw a glance at Veers.

“We could really use more people up here.”

_ We could really use you being in the med bay right now. _

But Piett was on his bridge, and he had a battle to win.

“Antilles!” he ordered.

“Admiral.”

“Time for the fighters to draw back, I don’t want you caught in this kind of crossfire. You’ve been brilliant.”

“Yes, sir.”

Veers could see their fighters pulling back to the cover of their larger ships. And yes they desperately needed more men on the bridge. He wondered about the crew on the rest of the Lady---how many of them were fighting back at the moment? How were the Skywalkers fairing? He was curious about that explosion earlier----torn between hopeful and anxious. 

The blue astromech suddenly lifted himself out of the pit, and landed with a little wobble near the Admiral, twittering and burbling.

Piett gave it a puzzled look.

“Sorry, R2, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say…”

“Maybe that he’s got the ion cannons working sir?” said one of the techs excitedly. The little droid whistled and rotated its dome

_ That wasn’t what he was saying? Damn, Skywalker needed to get up here. _

Piett smiled and looked to Veers.

“General?”

“Finding a target now, Admiral.” 

Piett looked down at the droid. “Thank you R2.” 

*Blert. It gently butted against Piett’s legs.

“I’m….not sure what you….” he began, and was interrupted by trilling and beeping. “Sorry, one moment, R2,” Piett said, moving to check something on the console. The blue droid stayed close to him, which was unusual. 

Piett was in full battle mode and Veers was glad of it, but…..

….but he knew his friend very well. Firmus was doing his utmost to get all in order, to determine the outcome as though he knew…. It reminded Veers suddenly of those hellish days right after Bespin---when his friend was so very sure he was going to die at any moment, desperately placing himself between his crew and the threat…..

_ Hells no.  _

Even as he watched, Piett put out a hand, and the R2 unit whirred into his reach, allowing him to lean heavily against it. Veers shared a look with Solo.

The ex-smuggler could sense it as well then.  _ Maybe the astromech sensed it too? _

“What kind of medical team do you have on board?” Solo asked very quietly.

“One equipped for the skeleton crew which was supposed to deal with everyday things like laser burns, or the occasional broken bone. Dr. Henley was taking the time to do a guest fellowship at a hospital on Coruscant.  _ Damn _ it…..” Veers said very softly. He couldn’t believe he was missing their sardonic medical genius. But he’d forgotten that Henley wasn’t on board----he’d been depending on him to help Piett. 

_ Could they get him back to the Capitol planet in time to help him? Because somehow he knew they needed Henley.  _

“Admiral,” the other tech called up, “I’m getting communications from Sergeant Major Ellery sir! He says that he and his men have taken Deck 19 back and are working toward the bridge sir.”

Piett’s eyes found Veers’, and he smiled. “Well that’s welcome news, thank you. Keep me apprised of their progress." 

“Admiral,” Venka’s voice came over comms, “It appears as though the’re going to try and jump to lightspeed sir!”

_ This close to the Lady and the other Star Destroyers? They **were** desperate _ , Veers thought.

Piett wasted no time, slapping at the comm. 

“All craft pull back immediately, the enemy are jumping. Pull back!”

Piett himself was working madly at the pilot’s station to reverse his Lady and, from the feeling Veers was getting in gravity shift, drop her several kliks as well. 

As he watched, several enemy destroyers disappeared. One drove right into one of the Destroyers from the Home Defense Fleet in a mighty fireball.

“Damn suicidal move….!” Piett was exclaiming under his breath, keeping an eye on the ships closest to the Lady. The fleet was clearly trying to obey his orders as the enemy ships began blinking out of existence. 

There were several more tense minutes, and then. 

The field was theirs.

Piett let out a little huff, and bowed his head slightly over the pilot’s station. Then he straightened, and turned to Veers.

“General, can I ask you to take comms? We need to find out our own internal situation.” Veers nodded and turned toward that station.

“I’ll contact Antilles to have him send some squadrons our way to secure the rest of the ship,” Piett continued. “And Solo...if…...if you could…..” 

Alarmed whistling from the astromech.

Veers whipped back around from obeying his friends’ directives in time to see the Admiral slide slowly down the front of the console to sit on the deck. Above him the Lady’s lights flashed.

_ Was her attention back fully with them then? Did that mean the Skywalkers had been successful? _

He had these thoughts even as he was flinging himself at Piett’s side, and his friend’s head lolled back against the console, blood trickling from his nose yet again.

The R2 unit had its scanner out and running over Piett, making sad little whistle sounds. 

“Water!” Veers yelled, feeling helpless, and Solo was rummaging in the duffel and handing him bandages which the General held to Piett’s face. 

A tech came running to them with another bottle of water, and Veers held his friend’s head as Piett had clearly hit the end of both the stim drugs and his own adrenaline. 

“Try and drink, come on that’s it, Admiral.”

He pulled the water away and Solo took it, as Piett tried to say something.

_ Don’t you dare try to tell me goodbye, Firmus. _

“What was that?” Veers asked him, as Piett’s head came to rest on the General’s shoulder--- and it was the wounded one, but he didn’t feel it. 

“Get….Antilles’ squadrons….for back up,” the Admiral panted, and Veers couldn’t help but snort even then.

_ Because of course, he wanted his ship secure above all else.  _

“Solo!” Veers started, but the man was already moving 

“On it. One of you show me how to contact Captain Antilles,” he called to a tech as he ran for the comms station. 

Piett’s data pad had fallen to the deck next to him, and Veers realized that it was flashing. He reached to pick it up, and held it so that the Admiral could see it as well. 

The Lady was urgently showing an image of the princess as well as that of Dr. Henley. 

Piett managed a small bloodless smile, and Veers swallowed thickly. 

“Yes, Lady, we could use them both. Any…” he paused to wrestle his voice under control, feeling Piett sagging more heavily against him, “anything you can do to help get the princess up here…Dr. Henley isn’t an option I’m afraid, but any medical staff…”

“Veers,” Piett murmured.

And the General stopped.

“Secure the ship first. There….there could still be….troopers…..outside the bridge.”

“Then I’ll toss you over my shoulder, and shoot them on our way to finding your princess,” he replied only half in jest. “You need a doctor, Firmus…”

A faint huff of a laugh from his friend. 

“Admiral?” came a voice on comms---Venka, Veers realized.

_ And without being asked, the communication was switched to the data pad Veers was holding.  _

_ Well, thank you Lady. _

“This is Veers, Venka.”

A loaded pause as the Rear Admiral took that in. 

“I just got a request from the  _ Executor herself _ for a medical team, General,” Venka said carefully. Veers knew he was aware of how special the Lady was. “I assume, given that I'm talking to you, she sent me that for the Admiral.”

Veers glanced to Piett. His eyes were watching the little droid as it hovered near him. 

“YES,” he replied urgently, “as soon as…”

“Dr. Henley is on his way with a team now.”

_ What the who now? _

“How….?”

“He insisted on joining us for this venture, Veers. ‘ _ All those stubborn idiots fighting to save each other, you’ll need me _ .’ His words not mine, General.”

_How was he in a position where he felt affection for the doctor?_

“Then have your fastest pilot, Rear Admiral. I don’t know how much time we have,” Veers told him.

“On it. Please, ah, keep me apprised, General.”

“I will,” Veers promised. 

_ Please hold on Firmus. We’ve come so close. _

  
  


******

Leia coughed and moved her limbs carefully. She hurt, but it seemed that all was intact. 

_ Was he gone? Had it worked? _

It was dark in the bay--- strip emergency lighting along the edges of the floor provided the only illumination. She rolled to her hands and knees, still gripping her lightsaber, and then she ignited it.

“Leia?” called Luke, and she could see him about 30 yards away, coming toward her.

“Is he dead? “ she asked her brother urgently. 

She felt Luke reaching and she joined him. The Force felt--- _ clean _ once more. 

“I believe so,” he answered. “Father? Where are you?”

And she felt her Father’s presence---strong and assuring before she saw him in the dim light given by her blade. 

“Are you both all right?” he asked. 

“Bruises,” Luke responded, “but nothing serious.”

“You weren’t hit with his lightning?” Anakin asked urgently, and Leia could feel him analyzing them in the Force.

“I’d remember  _ that _ ,” Luke replied with feeling. 

“Are you all right?” Leia asked her Father.

He smiled at her.

_ True, there was a time that it would not have mattered to her in the least. But they had grown past that now.  _

“Yes, but now….”

“I need to get to the bridge,” Leia finished for him, urgency coiling knots in her stomach.

_ What had that last attack done to Piett? Had Han made it to their Imperials? _

“We don’t know how many enemy troopers are still in play,” her Father said. “Luke and I will work on dealing with that, and securing Executor’s crew to help. Go daughter. We’ll join you when we can.”

Luke gave her a firm hug, and she touched her Father’s shoulder before she was off---dashing across the bay towards the corridors.

<Lady? She asked as she ran. Are you all right? Thank you for the assist!>

<I am not so easily harmed as you, Dear one, the Lady told her coolly. I am glad we could defeat this Evil together. I will guide you to the bridge now. My Admiral needs you.>

Leia hoped that she would be enough.

<Are they all unharmed? She asked, ducking into a turbolift that hissed open near her.>

<General Veers was shot in the shoulder, the Lady informed her, but I assess that he will be functional with medical care. Han Solo is unharmed as is the Blue one.>   
  


<Blue one? Leia asked, then realized. Oh, Artoo. She smiled. I’m glad he’s there too.>

<Yes, the Lady told her, he has been a great asset. I believe that our Admiral is beginning to appreciate him.>   
  


<Tell me how he is, Leia said, dread flowing through her. She felt the Lady’s fear as well, which didn’t help.>

<I can only tell you his physical specifices, Dear one. I know he was harmed by the power and that is something that you will need to determine. He has had regular epistaxis since the Evil first  _ harmed _ him.>

Leia leaned against the wall of the lift as the Lady’s anger battered at her.  _ Kriff, this ship was so extraordinary. And strong.  _

The doors hissed open and Leia reached with her senses.

<To your left, Dear one, the Lady instructed.>

Leia obeyed moving as swiftly as she could through the smooth corridors---tensing herself at each turn for possible attack. 

<What else, Lady?>

<Concussion, extensive contusions, and over use of stimulus medication. Dr. Henley is also travelling to us.>

_ How was that possible? _

<Dr. Henley joined the fleet in anticipation of being needed, the Lady said.>

_ Well thank the Force for that. Leia wasn’t sure she could help her Admiral without him. _

She sensed the troopers before she saw them, and flung out an instinctive hand, sending them flying back down the corridors.

<How close am I Lady? She asked.>

This was not a route Leia had ever taken before.

<You are almost to the lift you need, Dear one.>

Leia was tired, but shoved it down. Her people needed her. She could be tired later. A blaster shot burned into the bulkhead over her shoulder, and she whipped around in time to use her blade to deflect others before sending the troopers into the bulkheads themselves. 

<This lift, Dear one!>

And Leia threw herself in. It hissed open on a familiar corridor. Leia knew the bridge was just two turns to her right. With particular caution, she moved out, blade ignited and ready.

She could sense men in front of the blast doors.

<I am telling the Blue one you are here, the Lady said as Leia came around the last curve>

She felt the shock in the Force, and readied herself, leaping toward them as they brought their blasters to bear on her.

And the bridge doors slid open. 

She was faintly aware of Han’s shout of recognition, and then the troopers were taking blaster fire from inside as she attacked them from the front. 

With a final shove from the Force, the conflict ceased and she was at last on the bridge of the Lady. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia is on the bridge, ladies and gentlemen. But so is someone else.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another case of busy day, so posting a bit earlier. :)

[The Lady wanted him to open the blast doors for Leia Skywalker. This he could do. I am going to bring you help, he told the Admiral. He could tell that Lady’s human did not understand, but he gave a tired smile to Artoo and managed to pat his control panel.]

[Well. He might start to like the Lady’s Admiral. He rolled away down the central walkway toward the blast doors.]

“What’s he doing?” asked General Veers, clearly puzzled.

“Artoo?” asked Han Solo.

[Do not worry, he told them, plugging himself into the portal by the doors---I am once again providing you with the solution. And he began to work on opening them.]

“No, he can’t….” he heard the Admiral say faintly. 

“Droid, there are enemy troopers out there!” General Veers called angrily, not willing to leave his place at the Admiral’s side, and Han Solo pulled out his blaster.

“Artoo, you can’t open them yet! Oh nine hells……”

[Look, Artoo told them. You see? It is Leia Skywalker. It was indeed. She was doing a commendable job in dispatching their enemies with her white sword, but Han Solo and the General utilized their blasters to aid her, and it was over in moments.]

[Leia Skywalker reduced the physical distance between herself and Han Solo to nothing. Artoo had learned that this was their special way of greeting each other. This is all well and good, he told them, but the Lady’s Admiral needs your help.]

“Thanks Artoo,” she said, pulling away from Han Solo and smiling.

[Leia Skywalker had some of the best manners amongst the humans, he had always said so. He followed her to the Lady’s Admiral, where she knelt on both knees.]

[He needs maintenance, Artoo informed her. Here is my scan. And he pulled it up on his holoprojector. The General made a startled noise.]

[The princess looked very unhappy as she looked at Artoo’s findings, and shot a look at General Veers.]

“You do know…..I can….see you do that,” the Admiral informed them. The princess took his hand. 

[Artoo was reasonably certain that humans should not be this white. Lady? He asked. Is Dr. Henley close?]

<Yes, she replied. He is just landing in the bay.>

[I will guide them here, Artoo told her, trundling back toward the blast doors once more.]

<Blue one, it is faster if I…..>

A tall, black clad human, blood crusting the side of his face, walked onto the bridge, raising his blaster as he came.

  
  


****

Han holstered his blaster as his tremendous, whirlwind, petite package of a princess flung herself at him and they were allowed a few moments of bliss. 

Artoo chirped at them ---really Artoo?---but it was true that they had other concerns before they could collapse in the privacy of their quarters .

Leia pulled back slightly, smiling into his eyes. “Thanks Artoo,” she said without turning, then patted his jaw and moved swiftly to Piett and Veers, hooking her lightsaber to her belt and kneeling beside the Admiral to examine him. 

Piett looked awful---the amount of blood on his uniform might make someone think he’d been shot---and he was an alarming white shade as he leaned against both the console and Veers.

_ Come on, Admiral, _ Han thought,  _ you’ve made it this far. She won’t let you give up now. _

Artoo whirred over to flick up a scan, and Han saw Leia frown at it before meeting Veers’ eyes. 

“You do know…..I can….see you do that,” the Admiral informed them. Leia took his hand and tried to smile at him, but Han could see her worry from here. 

Artoo moved back down the walkway and Han watched him, wondering what he was up to this time…..

….And Pryde strode around the corner, blaster out and pointing at the three at the other end of the walkway.

He was bloody and singed from the explosion in the galley, but his purpose was cold and deadly. 

Han met Veers’ gaze----both of them had their blasters in their holsters. Even as the Corellian watched, Leia and the General shifted as one to shield Piett. 

Pryde gave a humorless laugh.

“Well, thank you for a smaller target. And I’m watching you as well, Solo. Don’t put your hand anywhere close to that blaster.”

_ Damn it to the nine hells. _

From his angle, he could see Piett very carefully draw his own blaster, hidden behind the princess and the General. 

And  _ how _ was the Admiral able to do that, as spent as he was? 

He laid the blaster on his stomach, and Han saw Veers gauging the distance and angles. 

_ You won’t make it General---none of us would. _

“Your master is dead,” Leia informed Pryde coldly. “There is nothing left for you.”

He sneered at her. “Killing most of the New Republic top command? I think------”

But he didn’t finish. Instead, his body seized violently and seconds later, a white beam shot from both the comms and defense stations to incinerate him in an awful burst of flame and brilliance. 

The charred corpse collapsed to the deck revealing a small blue droid behind it---his electric prod out and sparking. 

There was a beat.

“Well,” said Veers looking down at the Admiral, “it seems that our Lady has learned to shoot first and ask questions later.”

Piett managed a light chuckle. 

“With her…. partner in crime.... thank you, R2,” he said. 

Artoo twittered and whistled, and there was no mistaking the clear pride he was taking in his actions. 

“Yeah OK you did great Artoo,” Han told him, grinning. 

“Han, I need you to help me get the Admiral off the bridge and….” Leia paused as a large number of footsteps could be heard echoing towards them, and all of them braced themselves for the attack----Han whipped out his blaster, Leia’s blade ignited as she rose to her feet in front of Piett, and Veers had grasped Piett’s blaster and was bringing it to bear on the entrance to the bridge.

Luke Skywalker appeared at the head of a mix of troopers, officers, and techs, his own blade at the ready.

“Well kid about time you joined this party,” Han told him grinning widely in relief. It faltered a bit when Vader’s scarred face appeared over Luke’s shoulder, but he drew the young Jedi into a firm embrace. 

Her Worship, however, was in full command now. 

“Father, Han, I need you to take the Admiral to his conference room.  _ Now _ , please.”

And he could see the urgency in her face as he moved to obey.

****

He struggled to focus as Veers swiftly took the blaster he’d drawn to point toward the atrium.

His princess was on her feet in front of him, and he could hear the hum of her blade and  _ kriff, _ he hated being sidelined like this, but he was so dizzy…..

The console was smooth and hard at his back. Veers was a concerned presence at his side and he hated making his friend so worried, but he was also physically incapable of going anywhere. 

Her blade retracted with its distinctive sound, and she was at his side once more, and then his Lordship was also kneeling in front of him and---  _ when had he arrived? _

“Piett. Look at me.”

And that was a command which he needed to obey, but it was so very difficult. He managed at last to drag his eyes up to his commander’s.

That piercing blue gaze helped to anchor him. 

“We’ve got you, Admiral.”

_ Well that was good. But…. _

“....ship...needs more….bridge crew….”

His Lordship snorted. “The ship is secure. Ellery is getting them up here. And I’ll be taking command, Piett. Your only job is to listen to my daughter. Now hold on.”

_ Why….? _

And there was a sickening lurch for a moment, and then rocking movement and….oh. He was being carried----by Lord Vader and Solo, apparently--- but where….?

“Veers?” he managed, and felt a light tap on his left shoulder.

“Right here, Firmus.”

This was his conference room. He recognized the furniture and the carpet. He should put more greenery in here…..

….he was being lowered and  _ Force _ , that felt amazing on his battered body. Sofas were wonderful things. 

His Lordship’s face came into view once more above him.

“I have the bridge, Admiral. And my daughter has  _ you _ . I will find you later.” A firm grip on his shoulder, and then he was gone.

He was able to breathe easier lying down. His head felt slightly more clear, and the lights were blessedly dim in here. 

“Should I leave as well, your highness?” There was Veers, standing next to the princess, who, he now realized, was kneeling by his head. 

She was unlatching his duty jacket, and yes that was nice. Not as restrictive. 

“No, General, take a seat. I think you being here will be helpful.” 

And Veers drew up a chair so that Piett could see him.

“Should get that... seen to,” he told him, motioning to the bandaged shoulder which was causing Veers to sit very carefully. 

Max sighed. “I will. But we finally have you lying down, and you are going to  _ stay _ that way for a while if I have anything to say about it.”

Piett wanted to give a smart remark in return, but he was so very exhausted, and then the princess’s brown eyes were looking into his.

“Do you trust me?” she asked.  _ Ridiculous question really.  _

“Of course,” he murmured, and she smiled.

She hesitated slightly. “May I…..may I touch your face then?”

And he hated that she felt that she had to ask that, but he appreciated it all the same. He felt Veers’ hand, warm and solid land on his arm, and then her small hand reached for the side of his head…..

_ …...it was not the same, it wasn’t. He could feel Veers’ reassuring grip, and it was his princess who loved him; she was safe…..  _

….her hand was smooth and gentle. She looked at him.

“All right?” 

He nodded. She pressed her lips to his forehead and drew back a bit. 

“Before I do anything, the Lady wants you to know that she is quite all right, and she is so very proud of you.”

_ Well. Well, that was…… _

“Thank you,” he told her quietly.

“Now, dearest Admiral, close your eyes,” she commanded quietly, and he met Veers’ gaze once more, the General giving him a small nod-- _ I’m right here Firmus-- _ and then he obeyed.

He felt her bring her own head down to rest against his shoulder as she had so many times before…..

….something was happening…..

….it was something warm and familiar, like….his tea actually, and he could almost smell it. The vice like headache, that he’d had forever it seemed, was easing away like the tide going out on the beach. 

He could vaguely feel her real hand, fingers stroking his temple, but it was as though he felt her hands on his mind as well and….

….this was tender, it had hurt, it had  _ wrenched…the codes, Admiral...NO.. _

…. _something_ _cool…_.. _soothing…_.

… _.you saved her. You gave her time to escape _ .  _ She is unharmed.  _

_ New images were erasing cold hands and deep pain…. _

_ …..Veers with invaluable friendship and late night drinks…….the princess cozy at his side, loving him enough to listen to him enthuse about the Lady’s engines…...working on his commander’s ship because he’d been manipulated into doing so again, but he didn’t mind……...his favorite place on the bridge, hand on the bulkhead, while the stars raced by…….. _

_ …….sleep dear Admiral. We have you. _

  
  


******

Veers watched as the lines of strain eased on Piett’s face, and then he felt the muscles relax in the arm under his hand, and the princess lifted her head, first looking down at the Admiral, and then up at Veers with a wide smile of triumph.

“I did it. I’ve not done that before, but….well. I repaired what that  _ bastard _ did. He is sleeping now.”   
  


“Thank the  _ Force _ . And you, your highness.” Veers felt weak with relief, and drew back to relax into his own chair. 

They regarded each other for a moment. 

“I think you are owed as much thanks at least, General,” she told him, reaching to pat his knee. “You kept him alive.”

“I will admit that a large part of me desired to be with you all in order to  _ gut _ that  _ kriffing _ …” 

“The Lady showed me what…. what happened,” the princess said softly. “I understand that desire.”

“You are certain he is dead?” Veers asked her. 

“We reduced him to atoms with the Lady’s help,” the princess responded, a note of primal satisfaction in her voice which brought out an answering smile in Veers.

“Good.”

She looked back at Piett for a long time. “Have you ever stopped to consider how odd our lives are, General?”

He chuckled tiredly. “On occasion, your highness.”

“Three years ago, I would have wanted you both dead.”

_ Well she didn’t pull any punches. It was partly why he liked her. _

“And now?” he asked with a small smile.

“And now I frankly can’t bear to think of life without you.” She kissed Piett’s head once more and rose, stiffly, to her feet. 

“But I can sense that Dr. Henley has arrived, and is not happy that we’ve kept him waiting. And you need treatment as well,” she said, waving a casual hand at the doors to open them.

“..... _ what _ sort of hocus pocus she is doing, I need to assess….ah.”

The princess came to stand by Veers’ side, and rested her hand on his good shoulder. 

_ A united front? _

Henley stormed into the room followed by several medics, one of whom came to Veers, while the doctor took the princess’s spot on the floor next to the Admiral. 

“Doctor,” Veers began, “Such a pleasure to have you join us.”

“I will deal with  _ you _ in a moment, General. For now kindly be quiet so I can focus.” 

After a moment, Henley made a strangled noise.

“For the love of the galaxy, does he have anywhere that  _ isn’t _ bruised? Bacta for certain, and it looks as though he can’t argue with me about it, so thank you for  _ that _ , your highness. That’s quite the splint--yes, a fractured wrist, why not? It’s like he’s trying to set a record….”

Veers was well used to this running diatribe by now, and submitted to the medic working on his shoulder, knowing he was likely to be condemned to bacta as well. Henley always sounded like their injuries were deliberately made to offend him. 

“Holy kriff, how many stim shots did he have?” Henley whirled to fix his glare on Veers.

_ Well, he knew there would be consequences in their various forms. _

“Three,” Veers answered succinctly, and raised his good hand before the Doctor could continue, “and I hated it as much as you, but it was the only way to keep him going….”

“Is it ever an option with you people to just lie down and pass out?”

“ _ No _ ,” said the princess in tandem with Veers.

Henley glared at them for a moment. 

“I am genuinely tempted to declare the Admiral unfit for duty for a  _ month,  _ but that would put this ship under the command of Lord Vader and that is infinitely worse.”

“Oh?” said the princess coolly. She may never be particularly close to her Father, but he was still her family and Henley was disparaging it. 

“At least with the Admiral, I am not concerned that he will try to set a speed record with a Super Star Destroyer.”

Veers gave a small smile.  _ Well. The man had a point there. _


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so we bring it to an end. Thank you all for joining me on this adventure! I'll be starting a new series soon--once I finish the edits--and I look forward to continuing these Star Wars adventures.
> 
> As always, I so appreciate you readers!!

In the end, Henley didn’t have to work too hard, for once, to keep his most difficult patients from arguing about going back to their duties. 

Leia wasn’t sure if it was what she had done, or the effect of the myriad of drugs that were in his system, or a combination, but Piett didn’t wake up for another 48 hours, which was really just as well, given that Henley had him in bacta for half that time. 

She was grateful on her Admiral’s behalf, knowing his hatred for it. 

Veers wasn’t as lucky and had also spent some time in bacta, and then had his arm confined to a sling when he would rather have immediately begun PT. 

_ “This is one of the many over reaches that our chief medical officer is guilty of,” he had groused to Leia, as they both sat on either side of Piett’s bed, pretending that they weren’t worrying over how long the Admiral had been unconscious. _

_ “I’ve been in the military for twenty years, I think I know when I can start PT,” he said, frowning horribly at the sling. _

_ Leia absolutely did not smile. She knew him well enough now to know that some of this was to distract himself from worrying over his friend. Besides, the General was also more tired than he let on after the exertions of retaking the Executor.  _

_ There was another pause.  _

_ “You….you are certain, your Highness, that you repaired….?” _

_ “I am certain,” Leia had responded, and she was. But she too, was anxious for the Admiral to open his eyes.  _

_ “As I have told you two, numerous times now,” came Henley’s acerbic voice behind her, “he -will- be- fine. Force, it’s like you have forgotten the kind of expertise you have at your disposal here.” _

_ Veers snorted audibly. _

_ Leia was more circumspect. “It just seems like an excessive amount of time, Doctor….” _

_ “Your Highness, while you may have repaired whatever that kriffer did to him, he’s still anemic,  _ **_and_ ** _ he pushed himself so far beyond the bounds of rational human endurance, it’s a miracle he could stand, let alone do what he did. His body is doing precisely what it should. Be. Patient.”  _

_ He had looked at the readings for Piett, adjusted something in the drip and moved away. _

_ “And I dare you to start PT, General,” he shot over his shoulder, “see how long it takes you to crawl back here.” _

_ “Stars,” Veers had groaned, “now I want to just to spite him.” _

_ Leia had smiled in sympathy. “The Lady gave me a recording you might enjoy. Did you know that she had Artoo reprogram Madine’s caff dispenser?” _

_ She moved her chair around next to the General, and she and Veers had a good chuckle over the recording. _

_ “I don’t suppose she captured the moment you all vaporized that Sith bastard did she? I could use more bolstering,” Veers had told her only half in jest, when a sigh had sounded, and both of them jerked up their heads in hope.  _

_ The Admiral blinked, squinted, and raised a slow hand to try and shield his eyes. _

_ “Lady,” Leia had begun, but the ship anticipated her and dimmed the lighting in the bright sickbay immediately. _

_ “Seems we’re not the only ones eager for him to rejoin us,” Veers commented dryly as he rose to sit carefully on the bed at Piett’s side as he managed to open his eyes at last. _

_ Leia had moved to her knees on the floor, and taken the Admiral’s casted hand carefully. _

_ Piett had looked at them for a beat. His eyes found the General’s. “Max. You all right?” _

_ Veers had smiled. “All right, Firmus, now that you’ve decided to join us.” _

_ And those sleepy hazel eyes had moved to her face. “Dear girl,” he murmured, and moved his hand to touch her cheek briefly. “Thank you.” _

_ Leia felt warm and relieved, and reached up to take his hand again.  _

_ “Always,” she told him and watched as he smiled, and his eyes slid closed once more. _

  
  


Which brought them to now. Henley had kept the Admiral for another two days, most of which Piett spent sleeping. He had finally become aware enough to want to be in his own quarters and Henley had allowed it, pointing out that duty was out of the question.

Her Admiral hadn’t argued which told her a great deal about how he was feeling.

Veers had been given two more days with the sling, and was currently seated in the armchair across from Han, staring at his hand of sabacc, as they occupied the Admiral’s quarters. 

Leia had ensconced herself on the sofa for the last hour, where she had been quietly reading the various ship reports to Piett, as his headaches were still frequent, and looking at data pads had already triggered one migraine. But he wanted to know what was happening after the massive undertakings, so she had volunteered to help him.

She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised when she felt a sudden weight on her shoulder, and she glanced over to see that Piett had slumped slightly, and was most definitely asleep. 

_ Well, the more he got the better as his overtaxed system tried to right itself. It was, after all, why Henley had allowed her to read the daily reports. The doctor was more devious than people realized. _

She carefully snagged a cushion from her other side, and placed it on her leg before slowly guiding the Admiral down to rest on it…..there.  _ Success _ . She switched the data pad to her own reports from Mon and others on Coruscant, and placed her free hand on Piett’s shoulder.

She looked up at one point to meet the General’s eyes while Han pondered his cards and she smiled at him. 

Veers had smiled back, his eyes sliding to his friend before he gave her a little nod.

_ And who could have predicted this alliance with the steely General? But Leia found herself rather fond of the man---something Han still marvelled over. _

Leia, however, could not forget that Veers had been a husband and a father. That he was loyal before all else. The Lady had shown her some things…..

He would always place himself between his dearest friend and danger if he was physically capable of doing so. 

She understood that. Had exactly three people in the galaxy that she would unhesitatingly step in front of a Star Destroyer for. One was playing cards with Veers, one was under her hand and she stroked his arm, and one….

_ Luke _ ?

_ Is everything all right? Came immediately from her brother. _

_ All fine. Just checking with you. She sent him her love over their bond. _

_ Luke’s warm sunburst came back in the Force. _

_ Just talking with Father. Finalizing plans for Ackbar’s memorial. _

_ She felt a stab of sadness, both hers and her twin’s. _

_ Are you all right? she asked. _

_ Yes, thanks. Just….remembering. What are you doing? _

_ Keeping our Imperials sane. Well. Or sleeping. _

_ She felt Luke’s amusement. Who’s winning at sabacc? he asked. _

_ A tie so far. I still sometimes can’t believe that Han is playing cards with the man who nearly got us at Hoth.  _

_ We’re Skywalkers. Things are very strange for us. How is the Admiral? _

_ Peaceful.  _

_ She felt her brother’s approval. Good work there, sister of mine.  _

_ I love you, Luke.  _

_ Back at you. _

  
  


*******

Piett did up the latches on his jacket slowly. It was simultaneously marvelous and difficult to be back in his uniform. He loved the familiarity and regularity of it---he felt right in uniform. However, he was also so kriffing tired. One could argue that was a rather constant state for him (Veers did) but this was different. 

Henley told him to be patient. That his numbers had been off the charts, and not in a good way. That his energy and strength would return.

_ “You ran around a Super Star Destroyer after being horrifically beaten by a Sith. Oh, and took a huge overdose of stimulants. These are the consequences, Admiral,” Henley told him, looking exhausted himself. There had been numerous injuries and deaths in retaking the Lady.  _

_ “It’s why I’m not declaring you fit yet. Give yourself some time. We can’t all be Jedi.” _

_ Piett could almost swear that Henley had looked sympathetic. _

He had been allowed to attend Ackbar’s memorial, though he sat on the edge in case he started feeling as though he might topple over. Veers had calmly sat next to him, a reassuring presence as always.

Mon Mothma had travelled out to give the address---she had known him best really, worked most closely with him. She looked strained and sad and Piett felt for her---to lose such a close ally of so many years. 

She definitely proved her skills as a speaker though, with lovely and appropriate words for the kind of leader Ackbar had been. The entire bay had risen in respect as they fired an empty casket with the flag into space, and then the fleet had fired the salute given to an Admiral when he retired his command for the last time, and Piett realized that his eyes were wet. 

The Mon Calamari Admiral had always been supportive of working together, and he had appreciated his lack of combativeness or resentment for working with an Imperial Admiral. He would genuinely miss his steadiness. 

Piett had felt wrung out after that ceremony, and barely divested himself of his uniform before he was asleep in his quarters. 

Now, several days on, he had been allowed light duty which meant paperwork and the task he was about to complete. 

Baldwin, the chief engineer, had commed him to come down and see the finished improvements to the Lady’s engines. Much of the Executor’s crew had volunteered to return from leave after hearing of the events at Kuat. All were eager to personally help get their Lady up and running. 

Piett made his way through the corridors, now much fuller with more crew who greeted him as he passed. The feel on the Lady was helping him---everyone was so pleased to help bring her back to her lovely self, and she too seemed very delighted about it, flashing her yellow light at him frequently. (In between of course, being excessively bossy about turning  _ out _ his lights when she wanted him to sleep.)

He turned down the corridor that led toward the back of the vast engine bays, and entered the doors to take him to the catwalks, one level above the main deck. 

Where he paused.

The entire bay was filled with crew, thousands of them. On the catwalk near him, Baldwin turned with a huge grin on his face, Veers at his shoulder.

“What….?” Piett began.

“The Admiral!” declared Baldwin broadly, and the bay erupted. 

He could feel himself flushing as the Chief shook his hand. 

“Baldwin….”

“Let them have a moment here, sir. Most of us are aware of what you did to not only save our Lady, but personally pilot her into battle. The crew wanted to let you know how they felt about that.”

Piett could barely hear him over the noise. He turned back to his crew, deeply moved and acknowledged them with a wave. 

“It wasn’t just me though,” he said turning to Veers, “it was you, and Skywalkers, and so many others.” His friend grinned at him.

“They know that, Firmus. But none of us are the Admiral of the Lady. I am inclined to think they might like you.”

“Sir.” Baldwin handed him a commlink.

_ Oh kriff. He was absolute rubbish with speeches. Also with being the center of attention.  _

Veers gave him a little nod. He knew how Piett felt about this.

_ All right---you can pilot the Lady you can say a few words _ , the Admiral thought to himself. 

“Thank you.” His voice echoed through the bays. “I…...well, I’m afraid I’m better with actions than with words.”

And this, for some reason, caused another rousing cheer. When it died down again he continued.

“All I can is that I am so very grateful to work with all of you, who have each given so much. It is a privilege indeed for us all to serve on the finest ship in the galaxy. To the Lady!”

And Piett thought his bones might rattle right out given the roar of “THE LADY!” that resounded. He handed the commlink back to Baldwin. 

“Do I actually get to see her completed upgrades now?” he asked the Chief with a small smile. 

_ Because he needed to do something before he lost his composure. _

The Chief looked at him with his usual level of perception. 

“Absolutely sir. Follow me.” And Piett was allowed one of his favorite pastimes in admiring the workings of his incredible ship---who was glowing with white light all around the bay. 

He gave a small salute toward the ceiling, and Veers smiled at him as they walked side by side behind the Chief. 

  
  


*****

[You are operating at more than optimal capacity, Lady, Artoo told her.]

<Thank you, Blue one. I feel that as well.>

[Anakin Skywalker is not operating as smoothly.]

“I’m right here you know, Artoo,” Anakin responded as they walked down the Lady’s corridors.

<Are you unwell, Dark one? She asked, scanning him.>

Anakin laughed. 

<No Lady, I am fine. Artoo is being incredibly rude because I refuse to see Henley for some bumps and bruises. I’m older, Artoo. It’s the cost of aging--things take longer.>

[I am older and I am operating with great capacity, Artoo informed him.]

Anakin rolled his eyes. [Some would say that is because of your excellent upkeep, Artoo.]

[Who says that—-Threepio? If it is Threepio it is because he is jealous that I move more swiftly than he does. Also, I have booster rockets.]

<You have informed 76 different other droids of that fact this week, the Lady put in. You would not have the booster rockets if the Dark one had not repaired them.>

<Thank you Lady, quite true, replied Anakin. And Artoo, really, that is not how you make friends.>

[I was not seeking to make friends, Artoo told him. I was establishing my superiority. The Lady is my friend. I have my humans. I have Threepio who I must look after constantly.]

[You like Threepio, said Anakin, amused.]

They paused at the doors.

[Why are you waiting? Artoo asked. Are we not having liquids with the Lady’s Admiral and General Veers?]

[ _ I _ am having drinks.  _ You _ are going to return to the hangar bay. Veers doesn’t trust you around anything he is eating or drinking.]

<It is true, Blue one. We have made the Loyal one rather suspicious of you, the Lady put in. Some new droids have arrived to work on my exterior. Would you like to go and demonstrate your superiority?>

[I am always happy to do so, Artoo responded graciously.]

Anakin shook his head and went into the lounge. His friends were not readily visible though there were others all round the large room. The usual amount of tension and awe followed him through the Force to the more secluded area that they had claimed as their regular spot. 

He was rather surprised to see Piett seated sideways on one of the sofas so he could stretch his legs out, his jacket draped over the back. His Admiral was almost never that casual. 

Veers was in the armchair nearby, also without his jacket.

“.....saying that we can agree to a tie, surely, Firmus?” the General was saying as Anakin came in to their alcove. 

“Veers, it sounds to me as though….hello, sir. I hope you don’t mind---we ordered for you.”

He didn’t mind. He felt deep pleasure at the casual acceptance of his presence. It had been slow, but the very small details such as his officers feeling they could take off their duty jackets in his company or not spring to attention when off duty, meant a great deal to him. 

He took the glass sitting on the table, and sat down gratefully in the chair across from Piett’s sofa.

“Please don’t let me interrupt whatever you’re arguing over,” he told them, taking an appreciative sip. 

Veers raised an eyebrow at him. “We aren’t  _ arguing _ , sir. The Admiral is under the mistaken impression that all blaster shots are equal.”

Piett sighed into his tumbler, before taking a drink. “According to range records, my Lord, I have hit the center target more than the General, but he….

“....is pointing out that your combined blaster rifle and sidearm scores don’t count as the same thing, and if we went on the sidearm alone--I’m two shots ahead.”

Anakin was well aware of their long standing rivalry here. 

“I am more than happy Max, to go back there right now, and add several more shots to my sidearm count, just for your peace of mind.”

Veers snorted. “ _ My _ peace of mind. And please, Firmus, look at you. You’re knackered. I’m amazed you can hold your glass.”

“How long were you at it, then?” Anakin asked, smiling. 

“Two hours, my Lord,” Piett responded with a small groan as he set his glass down. “ _ Force _ , I am knackered. But, I wasn’t going to let Veers….”

“Stubborn bastard.” Anakin and the General said in tandem, and Piett stared for a moment as the two of them chuckled. 

“ _ Stars _ , all the dignity of blurrgs on a beach. ‘Yes, do tell us Admiral Piett, what was it like working with Darth Vader and General Veers? You must be so proud. Oh, oh yes, so very honored to work with them. Rather like being a childminder, really.’” Piett shook his head and took another drink. 

Anakin laughed outright. “You, Admiral, continue to surprise me. I was missing out on all this wit.”

“Don’t encourage him, my Lord,” Veers said with a disgusted look at his friend, who raised an eyebrow at him. 

_ He was eternally grateful for this. To be able to sit, after all he had done, and enjoy laughter with men he could genuinely call friends.  _

“I heard that Piett was the man of the hour today,” Anakin said, and the man in question flushed predictably. 

“It….was very kind of them.”

“Kind, nothing,” Veers snorted. “Firmus, my friend, you led the charge to save the Lady, we’re all agreed on that.”

One of the lights near them flickered.

<We are agreed, said the Lady fondly.>

Anakin nodded. “She says so as well.”

Both men looked at him with the expressions they got when reminded that their ship actually  _ spoke _ to Anakin. 

“I’ve had enough attention today, thank you,” said Piett, stretching sore shoulders and reaching for his glass.

Anakin exchanged a knowing look with Veers. The Admiral had an exceedingly difficult time accepting praise. 

“But I will be happy to drink to our Lady with you gentlemen.”

Veers and Anakin raised their glasses with him. 

“To the Lady.” 

“Now,” said Anakin after a moment, while Piett got more comfortable with an arm behind his head, and Veers stretched his long legs out in front of him, “when would you both like to take part in a  _ serious _ challenge and have a shuttle race?”

He enjoyed every second of their reaction. 


End file.
